Andover Wins $131,700 Grant For Flooding Analysis

ANDOVER, MA — Andover won a $131,700 state grant to increase climate and flooding resilience, the town said Wednesday.

The town will use the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant to assess properties on the Shawsheen River for potential flooding relief in the town's most flood-prone river. The analysis would identify and prioritize parcels for future land acquisition.

The state grant program is designed to communities prepare for the effects of climate change, including flooding.

"The extraordinary level of precipitation and record heat this summer is a harbinger of what may be in store for Andover and the Merrimack Valley," Town Manager Andrew Flanagan said. "That is why this MVP project led by the Town’s Sustainability Coordinator, Joyce Losick-Yang, and Director of Conservation, Robert Douglas, is so vital to our preparedness for climate change."

Flooding has been a particular concern in Andover, the town said.

"The Shawsheen River in the vicinity of the Haverhill Street/Rte. 133 bridge was inundated during the Mother’s Day Flood of 2006 and caused multimillion-dollar damages," the town noted. "Andover has the second-highest flood claim payouts through the National Flood Insurance Program in all of Essex County after its neighbor Lawrence."

Since 1978, the town has had 192 property loss claims totaling $7.9 million. $4.8 million of those losses were at 28 properties that have had multiple losses.

"The Town’s number-one priority action, identified through its 2018 Community Resilience Building Workshop process, is to undertake a strategic program of land acquisition/conservation and adaptation projects along waterways (i.e., river/stream corridors and floodplains) to provide additional flood storage and reduce the impacts of larger storm events and increased runoff," the town said.

"The parcels identified in the MVP project will be targeted in the future for nature-based restoration efforts, including but not limited to wetland restoration, flood storage, reforestation, and reformation of stream meanders," says Losick-Yang, the project lead. "This is the first step along the path of capping climate-related flood damages which will require that we reduce peak flows and slow stormwater runoffs from the Shawsheen."

"The goal of this project dovetails nicely with plans to connect trails along the Shawsheen and to restore public access to the river for recreation," Conservation Director Bob Douglas said.

Restoring wetlands and natural river buffers would also bring back habitats for aquatic wildlife.

The town will match the state grant with $46,800 in Capital Improvement Program cash, operating funds from projects like the Shawsheen Master Plan and staff and volunteer plan.

"The Town will coordinate closely with its Open Space Task Force, the Conservation Commission, the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS), Andover Trails as well as various watershed councils on all phases of this project, and convene several stakeholder workshops to communicate findings," the town said. "The Town is also committed to doing outreach with environmental justice and climate-vulnerable communities through its Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within and outside of Andover so that their critical insights can shape project outcomes."

A project kickoff meeting will be held Sept. 21 at the Memorial Hall Library. Anyone interested should contact Losick-Yang at 978-623-8912 for more information.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.