Muddy Brook Subwatershed Resiliency Master Plan



muddybrook2

Summary:

The Town of Ware received Action Grant funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program to develop a Muddy Brook Subwatershed Resiliency Master Plan. The purpose of the Muddy Brook Subwatershed Resiliency Master Plan is to develop a set of resiliency actions and strategies that reflect current and future concerns and priorities related to protecting the environmental, water supply, recreational, and public health of the Muddy Brook watershed area. The Muddy Brook watershed provides most of the drinking water for residents in Ware and lies within a valuable economic and social area of Town, making proactive mitigation strategy planning for this watershed a high priority.

muddy brook

The development of the Muddy Brook Subwatershed
Resiliency Master Plan will take place between
September 2022 and June 30, 2024 and will involve:

  • Characterization of current and future threats to the
    subwatershed and associated drinking water supplies
    from climate change and development
  • Review of Town-owned parcels within the subwatershed
    area for the potential addition or retrofit of green
    infrastructure stormwater management facilities

 

  • Evaluation of opportunities to connect resilience to community development and reduction of impervious area within the subwatershed
  • Identification of opportunities for land acquisition and conservation in floodplains and wetlands of the subwatershed based on water supply protection needs, recreation needs, current and future threats, and areas of known current and anticipated future flooding
  • Robust engagement with Environmental Justice populations and the general public to assist with identification of vulnerabilities and future actions, and to increase awareness of the importance of maintaining the health of the subwatershed through the use of community liaisons, development of educational materials, and a Watershed Walk celebrating the Muddy Brook watershed area
  • Training of local technical school students in how to perform road-stream crossing assessments, and subsequent evaluation of the condition of road-stream crossings within the subwatershed
  • Regulatory code review with a focus on improvements for resiliency relative to water supply Zone II land uses and protections, stormwater management, and use of green infrastructure strategies
  • Creation of a roadmap for increasing resiliency through identified areas of focus for improvements
bird pic



Links

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program website: https://www.mass.gov/municipal-vulnerability-preparedness-mvp-program

Resilient MA – Climate Change Clearinghouse for the Commonwealth, where you can explore the latest statewide climate data and projections through interactive maps and graphs and learn about EEA's municipal grants supporting climate resilience: https://resilientma.mass.gov/home.html