ResilientWoodsHole

Water is central to Woods Hole, and informs its daily rhythms. Woods Hole is a jumping off place for ocean exploration, island excursions, and marine recreation. It is also haven for seaside business, tourism, research, recreation and living. Its location also makes this community vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise and coastal storms. ResilientWoodsHole was initiated to collectively understand these risks and build community resilience.

Having assessed the vulnerability of WHOI, MBL, and NOAA Fisheries assets as well as community infrastructure, Phase 3 of the ResilientWoodHole initiative explored the efficacy and potential phasing of a range of coastal adaptation options throughout Woods Hole. Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management , this project initiated a conversation on coastal adaptation and resilience through a series of community workshops, stakeholder interviews and a stakeholder survey.

Within the Woods Hole study area, 1,089 structures were documented and assessed which included 879 residential structures, 28 businesses (including 4 Steamship Authority buildings classified as lifeline infrastructure), 10 federal structures (USCG), and 19 non-profit structures. Collectively, WHOI, MBL, and NOAA own 153 structures of the 1,089 total assessed structures.

A total of 20.6 miles of roadways were assessed in the Woods Hole study area including the bike path. Most at risk roadways include the low lying portion of the village core surrounding Eel Pond which includes Gardiner Road, Spencer Baird Road, Gosnold Road, Park road and Bar Neck Road. As climate conditions evolve, Water Street, MBL Street and Albatross Street also become vulnerable.

When reviewing the tables above, it is important to keep in mind that the reported levels are annual coastal flood exceedance probabilities (ACFEP), and these annual flood risks accumulate over time:

• a 1% ACFEP flood has a ~10% chance of occurring during a 10-year period
• a 10% ACFEP flood has a ~65% chance of occurring during a 10-year period
• a 25% ACFEP flood has a ~95% chance of occurring during a 10-year period

Stakeholder engagement is a critical component of every climate change adaptation and planning project to ensure eventual implementation of recommended actions. Over the course of Phase 3, there were many opportunities for public outreach and engagement aimed to gather input, feedback, and questions from residents, business owners, and community stakeholders.

The  Phase 3 Community Vision Workshop  held in February of 2022 presented the results of the community vulnerability assessment and asked how community stakeholders would like to see the village adapt to sea-level rise and coastal storms. During the workshop, attendees were introduced to a series of interactive mapping tools showing the results of the community vulnerability assessment and also included public comment tools for stakeholders to provide details of their own experiences of flooding in Woods Hole and offer their own ideas for adaptation strategies. Below is a recording of the first workshop.

You can also click the links below to view the Community Workshop #1 PowerPoint presentation and access the Interactive data viewers.

 Community Workshop #1 Presentation  

 Community Workshop #1 Interactive Data Viewers 

Additionally, a public survey and series of stakeholder interviews were conducted to learn more about individual experiences with coastal flooding and better understand the things that are important to Woods Hole's functioning and community fabric. Some key themes from the stakeholder interviews included:

• a need for adaptive collaboration between residents, institutions, businesses and the Town of Falmouth to ensure the continuation of a close-knit community and working waterfront
• strong preference to maintain the existing character of the Village for its walkability and desirable amenities
• long-term recognition that non-water dependent functions could relocate or may need protection, and
• desire to increase awareness and preparedness for coastal flooding among homeowners and business and increase access to the outdoors and waterfront.

The final  Phase 3 community workshop  exploring the Adaptation Pathways was conducted in-person at the Gus Canty Community Center in May 2022. This workshop presented an overall summary of the previously completed vulnerability assessments, introduced adaptation concepts and explained the use and function of Dynamic Adaptation Pathways. The workshop concluded with rotating stations where attendees could investigate and provide feedback on all possible adaptation strategies for each management area.

If you would like to review the the PowerPoint presentation and the materials to provide your own feedback on the strategies proposed for each management area please use the links below.

 Community Workshop #2 Presentation 

 Community Workshop # 2 Materials 

Based on the vulnerability assessment and community feedback, it was important to consider effective adaptation strategies to increase resiliency in Woods Hole. The Water Surface Elevation and Maximum Wave Crest Elevation model results from the Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk model (MC-FRM) were considered when developing effective and phased adaptation strategies for ResilientWoodsHole.

The next step was to develop and consider a full range of potential adaptation actions, which can help reduce or eliminate coastal vulnerabilities. Potential adaptation strategies were developed for each coastal management area with in the Woods Hole community and were developed by theme based on their potential resiliency outcome. The four themes are:

After the development of potential adaptation strategies, Dynamic Adaptation Pathways (DAPs) figures were created to visualize the various strategies and their potential effectiveness over time. Below is a key to interpreting the DAPs.

Ideally, DAPs provide effective decision making opportunities and flexibility for increasing resiliency over time. In many cases, the most beneficial and cost-effective approach is to phase in different approaches over time, as rising water levels prompt an alteration in the way an asset may be used.

Along each pathway, transfer stations (black circle) and adaptation tipping points (black solid line) mark the option or necessity (respectively) to adopt a different strategy because of a change in the coastal hazard. A solid line pathway indicates that the adaptation strategy will be protective for a 1% storm event. A thick dashed line indicates the strategy is not able to address a 1% storm event, but does provide some reduced level of protection for smaller storms. A thin dashed line indicates that the strategy can only provide a solution for tidal flooding at that time horizon and does not perform a storm protection function.

At the bottom of each DAP are three threshold lines that show the amount of sea level rise in feet, and the corresponding timelines for the intermediate (RCP 4.5) to high (RCP 8.5) sea level rise scenarios. Each of these thresholds can help inform adaptive management and planning over time.

The timeline developed for each action is visible on each thematic map located in the various slideshows linked below. A key for interpreting the timelines with each thematic map is here:

Below are a series of slideshows exhibiting the range of possible adaptation strategies by theme (with individual timelines) and the dynamic adaptation pathways for each management area in Woods Hole. Use the arrows on the right of each slide show to scroll through the graphics for each management area.

ResilientWoodsHole will continue to engage the Town of Falmouth and local Woods Hole community members and businesses in adaptation planning. Some key related initiatives affecting Woods Hole are already underway, including the Town's work on sewer infrastructure resiliency though the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program. Additional focus on other utilities, especially power, will be required moving forward.

ResilientWoodsHole will continue to evaluate these adaptation options and pathways for woods Hole assets and infrastructure with the Town and local community, as Woods Hole is facing a myriad of decision points and choices at a variety of scales, many of which are interconnected. The goal is to continually refine a long-term framework for addressing climate change and taking informed steps toward community resilience together.

In parallel, ResilientWoodsHole will also explore opportunities to implement short- and mid-term projects to address flood risk for critical facilities and infrastructure, support homeowner and business resilience, and shore up major flood pathways.

To get involved in this initiative and to stay up to date on progress, please contact ResilientWoodsHole.