Collins Cove to Willows Resilience Study

The Collins Cove to Willows Resilience Study for the City of Salem, Massachusetts was conceived as a coastal protection initiative. The study examined present-day and future coastal and overland flood projections, while engaging stakeholders to both present relevant findings and also gather feedback from those who have experienced flooding in this area. The project also developed resilient options for city parks and road networks, an emergency response plan, and a resilient coastal parks toolkit. 

Collins Cove was the City’s “backyard” for a long time, a site where dirty, polluting activities occurred, such as tanning leather, dumping refuse, storing fuel, manufacturing gas, or maintaining rail cars. It wasn't until the late 20th century when its uses became primarily residential and recreational.

Use the slider to view the changes to the Collins Cove and Willows shorelines from 1850 (left) and today (right). Notice the filled areas by the Collins Cove Park and Szetela Lane, in particular.

The Study's Vulnerability Assessment provided the City of Salem with an overview of historic, present-day, and future vulnerability and risk due to sea level rise, storm surge, and precipitation-based flooding in the Collins Cove to Willows study area.

The following maps show the annual probability of coastal flooding predicted by the Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM) for 2008 (considered "present-day") and the planning horizons 2030, 2050, and 2070, respectively. These maps also depict the critical infrastructure and coastal structures that may be impacted if no resilience options are adopted. 

A variety of potential solutions were developed for the present and future flooding. Coastal resilience is determined by both structural and less visible, non-structural measures. Structural flood mitigation strategies, such as flood control dams, detention basins, and flood diversion channels, modify a community’s risk to flooding. Non-structural flood mitigation strategies, including public education, land acquisition, and open space preservation, modify a community’s exposure and vulnerability to flooding. It is only through a combination of these strategies that a coastal resilience plan can mitigate risk and reduce exposure to flooding vulnerability. 

Inclusive public involvement and community engagement played an important role in this resilience study, which included a workshop series, guided walk and talk tours, and clean-up events. The primary means for engagement was through community meetings, which included in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. These meetings aimed to gather insights from residents, experts, and stakeholders to better understand the challenges posed by flooding and to develop effective mitigation strategies.