SRWC workshop provides proactive approach toward climate change

SAUGUS – Climate change and storm preparedness took center stage last week as the Saugus River Watershed Council held a workshop called, Lessons Learned from Hurricane Sandy: Protecting Watershed Resources in a Changing Climate.Joan LeBlanc, Executive Director of the SRWC, said about 40 people attended the workshop, which featured talks from leading environmental scientists and officials, including Steve Roy of Geosyntec Consultants, Julia Knisel of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and Sam Cleaves of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.?We really focused on what happened in New York and New Jersey, and what we can do to learn from that,” said LeBlanc. “We lucked out on Hurricane Sandy of course ? the impact here was fairly minimal. But if the storm had shifted just a little bit it could have been a much different situation.”LeBlanc said the SRWC has been working to “promote strategies” to protect the watershed as the effects of climate change become more apparent.After Hurricane Sandy, which devastated much of the coastline of New Jersey and New York, LeBlanc said last week?s workshop was a good start in looking at ways to limit damage and be proactive.?After Hurricane Sandy, we saw an opportunity to think about what were some of the issues planners and professional developers had to deal with in New York that might help us as we?re struggling with increased storms and other coastal problems,” she said. “We?re working with several communities to try and focus on what strategies we can have in place to adapt to climate change.”Some of the issues discussed included how climate change can affect drinking water supply in Lynn, storm water management and wildlife habitat.?Thinking about increasing temperatures and what impact that might have, thinking about the fact that rain storms are coming faster and more intensely than they have in the past,” said LeBlanc. “The plans we had from before on how to deal with storm water are really no longer adequate. What we?re starting to learn is that anything you can do to be proactive is helpful. It?s important that we get moving on the planning stages as soon as possible.”LeBlanc said speakers also discussed “innovative ways” of dealing with increased storm surges, like resizing culverts in certain areas.While more research needs to be on the effects of climate change, LeBlanc said she?s hoping new research can shed more light on predictions for the area.?That kind of research is just happening now and we?ll be getting more information in the next few years on what it means for the North Shore area,” she said. “But I think we?re already seeing some of the signs of climate change. The so-called 100-year storm is now happening two or three or four times in a five-year period.”LeBlanc said materials from last week?s workshop will be posted on the SRWC website at saugusriver.org and more information about climate change can be found at mass.gov/czm/stormsmart.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].