Newburyport Resiliency Projects

This page summarizes the city's project to help protect and preserve Newburyport against the effects of climate change.

The status of each project can be found in the project's details page.

For more information on the city's vulnerabilities and resiliency plans, please see the city's website:  https://www.cityofnewburyport.com/planning-development/resiliency  

Indian Hill Raw Water Line

This project  will provide a raw water pipeline to allow direct access to the Upper Artichoke and Indian Hill Reservoirs in the event of water quality or flooding concerns that would prohibit utilizing the existing intake in the Lower Artichoke Reservoir. As there is currently one intake for all three reservoirs, at the lowest point in the system, if this intake were compromised the City would lose the use of Indian Hill and Upper and Lower Artichoke Reservoirs, which together constitute 80% of the City’s water supply. This secondary raw water transmission main would allow the City to use the Indian Hill Reservoir or the Upper Artichoke Reservoir, without having to use the intake at the Lower Artichoke Reservoir. 

Lower Artichoke Dam Reconstruction

According to FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the concrete spillway elevation at the Lower Artichoke Reservoir Dam is 3 feet below the 100-year floodplain.  Storms have the potential to cause the Merrimack River to contaminate the water supply with saltwater and other contaminants in the river. 

Central Waterfront Bulkhead Rehabilitation

This project repaired and rehabilitated the significantly deteriorating and corroding steel 45 -year-old bulkhead at the embayment and the eastern section of the central waterfront, including replacing the steel mooring pilings.

Market Landing Park Expansion

The 4.6-acre Waterfront Park site, adjacent to the Mayor Peter J. Matthews Memorial Boardwalk along the Merrimack River, was transferred to the city after dissolution of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority in summer 2020.This project’s primary purpose was to convert a portion of the city’s waterfront parking lots into additional park space flanking the east and west sides of Market Landing Park.

Amesbury Emergency Interconnect

Mass DEP and EPA, highly recommend that communities have an emergency interconnection for resiliency and redundancy purposes. Historically the City has needed this type of insurance (Water Treatment Plant upgrade 2008 and Algal Bloom 2020).

Shoreline Protection at the Wastewater Treatment Plant

The City of Newburyport’s Wastewater Treatment plant is located along the waterfront.  A vulnerability assessment  conducted in 2019 identified multiple flood risks.  The Shoreline Resiliency project, completed between December 2020 and July 2021 was designed to help protect the WasteWater Treatment plant from flood waters from the Merrimack River.

Indian Hill Raw Water Line

This project  will provide a raw water pipeline to allow direct access to the Upper Artichoke and Indian Hill Reservoirs in the event of water quality or flooding concerns that would prohibit utilizing the existing intake in the Lower Artichoke Reservoir. As there is currently one intake for all three reservoirs, at the lowest point in the system, if this intake were compromised the City would lose the use of Indian Hill and Upper and Lower Artichoke Reservoirs, which together constitute 80% of the City’s water supply. This secondary raw water transmission main would allow the City to use the Indian Hill Reservoir or the Upper Artichoke Reservoir, without having to use the intake at the Lower Artichoke Reservoir. 

Lower Artichoke Dam Reconstruction

According to FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the concrete spillway elevation at the Lower Artichoke Reservoir Dam is 3 feet below the 100-year floodplain.  Storms have the potential to cause the Merrimack River to contaminate the water supply with saltwater and other contaminants in the river. 

Central Waterfront Bulkhead Rehabilitation

This project repaired and rehabilitated the significantly deteriorating and corroding steel 45 -year-old bulkhead at the embayment and the eastern section of the central waterfront, including replacing the steel mooring pilings.

Market Landing Park Expansion

The 4.6-acre Waterfront Park site, adjacent to the Mayor Peter J. Matthews Memorial Boardwalk along the Merrimack River, was transferred to the city after dissolution of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority in summer 2020.This project’s primary purpose was to convert a portion of the city’s waterfront parking lots into additional park space flanking the east and west sides of Market Landing Park.

Amesbury Emergency Interconnect

Mass DEP and EPA, highly recommend that communities have an emergency interconnection for resiliency and redundancy purposes. Historically the City has needed this type of insurance (Water Treatment Plant upgrade 2008 and Algal Bloom 2020).

Shoreline Protection at the Wastewater Treatment Plant

The City of Newburyport’s Wastewater Treatment plant is located along the waterfront.  A vulnerability assessment  conducted in 2019 identified multiple flood risks.  The Shoreline Resiliency project, completed between December 2020 and July 2021 was designed to help protect the WasteWater Treatment plant from flood waters from the Merrimack River.