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NYSFSMA Annual Meeting

May 18, 2016Libby Zemaitis, Climate Outreach Specialist, Hudson River Estuary Program

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Roadmap

• Hudson River Estuary Program

• Climate hazards + risks

• Waterfront resilience task forces

• Spotlight on the Village of Catskill

• Climate-Adaptive Design studio

• Available resources

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Working to achieve

key benefits:

• clean water

• resilient communities

• vital estuary ecosystem

• fish, wildlife, and habitat

• natural scenery

• education, access,

recreation, and inspiration

The Hudson River

Estuary Program

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Climate hazardsTrends in our climate

• Heat waves

• Short-term

drought

• Flooding

• Increasing

temperatures

• Changing

precipitation

patterns

• Rising sea level

Climate risksImpacts to humans

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Hazard: changing precipitation patternsNY has experienced 74% increase in intense precipitation

74% Increase in quantity of rain falling in heaviest 1% of all daily events from 1958 to 2011

Flooding along Mt. Merino and 9G in January, 2011 (T. O’Connor)

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NYS is adopting sea level rise projections

• Projections are in inches and by time horizon

• 13” rise since 1900, rate of rise increasing

Hazard: rising sea level

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Risk: flooding

today’s 1% storm will occur more frequently

and bring greater flood heights in the future

Flooding near Dunn Warehouse during Hurricane Irene in 2011 (T. O’Connor)

The federally-designated “100-year” or 1% floodplain is the area that statistically has a 1% chance of flooding each year based on historical data.

Impacts: human safety, waterfront assets, infrastructure

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You can exploresea level rise andflood risk along the Hudson using Scenic Hudson’s mapper

http://www.scenichudson.org/slr/mapper

CLIMATE RISKS

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We wanted to help communities adapt to flooding after the 2011-2012 hurricanes

Flood resiliency task forces in Catskill, Kingston, Piermont and Stony Point

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Task forces used a variety of tools to reach consensus:

• Visioning of key themes

• Participatory mapping

• Selection of planning horizons

• Mapping of vulnerability and risk

• Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool

• Flood adaptation strategies and simulations

• Cost Benefit Analysis

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All Task Force communities completed final reports with specific recommendations

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All task force communities are working together and making progress

• 91 recommendations

6 complete

15+ in process

Many on-going

• 13 grants totaling $1.5M+

• Updating LWRPs + BOAs

• 3 of 4 are Climate Smart

Communities

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Lessons learned from task forces

• Avoid top down approach

• Building knowledge and trust

can take time

• Visioning and inspiration are

important

• Small communities have

limited resources to tackle big

issues, need assistance

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Spotlight:

Village of Catskill

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Hurricane Irene was devastating for the Village of Catskill

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The task forces chose sea level rise projections to plan for, Catskill chose:

Year

Sea Level Rise Scenario

2020s 2050s 2100

Middle 6.5” 21.5” 60”

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Current risk using DOS Coastal Vulnerability Index

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2050s risk using DOS Coastal Vulnerability Index

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2100 risk using DOS Coastal Vulnerability Index

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Resilient Catskill: final report from the task force in late 2014Opportunities to manage climate risks, respond productively as

the climate changes and recover quickly from extreme events

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Two recommendations completed!

CodeRed emergency communications implemented

Flood guide distributed to landowners in floodplain

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Additional recommendations receiving outside support

• Analyze adapting WWTP ($42,500)

• Analyze updating zoning ($25,500)

• Brownfield Opportunity Area - Step 2 ($104,100)

• Climate-Adaptive Design studio

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Climate Adaptive Design (CAD) studio

A collaboration with

Cornell University

Department of

Landscape

Architecture

Using design to

inspire

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A lot can change in a 100years, so it’s hard to visualizethe future in the present

Thomas Cole, View on the Catskill, Early Autumn, 1837

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The Climate-Adaptive Design (CAD) studio visualizes the future for Hudson Riverfront communities

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CAD engaged stakeholders to explore future concepts for Catskill’s waterfront

• Industry

• Access + circulation

• Economic development +

historic preservation

• Recreation + interpretation

• Ecology + marsh resilience

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Students studied flood adaptation strategies

Made by Scenic Hudson

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Students prioritize water-dependent uses

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Students highlight green infrastructure strategies

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Students highlight shorelines with natural and nature-based features

• Living shorelines (marsh sill)

• Ecologically enhanced bulkheads and revetments

• Constructed wetlands

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Natural and nature-based features offer many co-benefits

Reduces hazard vulnerability

oStorm surge/tide reductions, wave attenuation

oErosion control and shoreline protection

Ecological co-benefits

oWater purification

oWildlife, habitat diversity

oFishery habitats provision

oSAV, marsh and forest habitats

oCarbon sequestrations

oAir quality improvement

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Additional climate resilient strategies

• Conserving open space

• Elevating and wet floodproofing buildings

• Strategic relocation of highest risk buildings

• Allowing for marsh migration

• Increasing shade for cooling

• Right-sizing culverts and bridges

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Student help Catskill visualize a range of future conditions

• Think outside the box

• Phasing, short- to long-term

• Costs, low to high

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Catskill received 22 design alternatives boards from 5 student teams• Planning board working to implement green alleys

• Working one-on-one with creekside developers

View project online at http://goo.gl/T5jrLq

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CAD is now in the City of Hudson and in Kingston come Fall

Final design concepts on display at

Opera House this June & July

Opening reception 6-8pm on June 4

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Recap

• Flooding poses a significant risk to

NYS

• Adapting to flooding takes time and

buy-in

• Flood resiliency task forces were

successful

• New Climate-Adaptive Design (CAD)

studio helps Hudson Riverfront

communities visualize and get

inspired for the future

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Estuary Program grants! $1.25M available

New! Local Stewardship Planning grants

*includes flood resilience, water supply, wastewater infrastructure, green

infrastructure

New! Access and Education grants

*includes storm resilient new or retrofit river access

Due June 30th, 2016

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5091.html

Future? Barrier mitigation funding to right-size and remove culvert, bridges

and dams

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Thank You

Libby Zemaitis

Climate Outreach Specialist, Hudson River Estuary Program

Libby.zemaitis@dec.ny.gov | (845) 256-3153

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Visit our website on Climate Change in the Estuary

http://goo.gl/tM3AbZ