As Massachusetts experiences its seventh wettest year on record in 2023 and torrential rains have devastated roads, farms and homes, the federal government, the state and the people here in the Pioneer Valley are turning their attention to future flood protection measures, particularly around the Connecticut River.

The Connecticut River runs through nearly every major city and town and is the lifeblood of the Pioneer Valley. However, this source of water and food also poses one of the greatest flood hazards in all of Western Massachusetts.

“Anywhere where people have chosen to build in the flood plains, it becomes a problem during the flood season,” says Nina Gordon-Kirsch, river manager for the Connecticut River Conservancy in Massachusetts. She stresses that flooding is a “very natural process” that “becomes a major concern when you think about the safety of residents along the river.”

While local residents here in the valley continue their work, the Massachusetts congressional delegation hopes to use federal funds to help alleviate flooding problems.

Reduce the risks

Nearly the entire Western Massachusetts delegation witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of last year's rains on valley roads, businesses and farms. Among them was U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who stopped by Natural Roots Farm in Conway to see the damage after the farm was flooded last year by the South River, not the Connecticut River.

“What we saw on the ground in Conway last year was the harsh reality of the experiences of local farmers, residents and business owners in the face of increasing extreme weather events and the chain reaction these events create,” Markey wrote in an email. “This situation will only get worse as the impacts of climate change continue to worsen, and communities should know we have their backs. We must put federal resources into assessing and mitigating these increased risks now.

“The flood risk in Franklin County is a regional problem that requires a regional solution,” Markey added.

In May, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), a biannual legislative package to conserve and develop water and related resources, passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, with several provisions aimed at projects in the Valley. The “bipartisan bill” passed the committee unanimously, and Markey said they are now working to get it approved by the Senate.

“While I have long been committed to making Massachusetts communities more resilient to flood risk in the face of climate change, many of the provisions I fought for and pushed through in the WRDA bill passed by EPW were a direct response to last year's historic flooding on the Connecticut River,” Markey said.

At the top of the list is approval of an Army Corps feasibility study on flood risk management along the Connecticut River throughout Western Massachusetts, which will identify some possible projects that can be undertaken.

While the bill moves through the legislative process, the Connecticut River Conservancy will continue its restoration work, focusing on natural methods such as planting trees to absorb groundwater.

“Restoration helps prevent flooding because the more trees we have and the more exposed soil we have, as opposed to paved soil, the more water can seep into the soil instead of draining away,” Gordon-Kirsch said. “Anything that's concrete or paved doesn't allow water to seep into the soil.”

Local flood control measures

Other measures in the bill include $10 million in environmental infrastructure support for Easthampton's wastewater drainage system and an additional Army Corps study of Northampton's flood pumping control system.

Under the bill, Easthampton would receive $10 million to improve its wastewater collection and treatment systems. The city's wastewater system consists of sewers, collection mains, pumping stations, transmission lines, a wastewater treatment plant, and outfall pipes on the Connecticut and Manhan rivers.

According to the Easthampton Public Works Department, the funds will help cover the design and construction costs of rehabilitating the Connecticut River outfall line, which carries treated wastewater from the city's wastewater treatment plant on Gosselin Drive to the Connecticut River near the intersection of Route 5 and East Street. But the city will need more money in the future for necessary upgrades to the rest of the system, said Greg Nuttelman, Easthampton's public works director.

Nuttelman said Easthampton's wastewater faces problems of infiltration and inflow (referred to as “I” and “I”), which occur when stormwater or groundwater enters the wastewater collection system.

“Whenever rainfall increases significantly, flow rates in our wastewater treatment system increase,” Nuttelman wrote in an email. “This results in our pumps having to run more frequently and treatment costs being higher than normal as water that does not need to be treated enters the treatment process.”

If the earmarking is finalized and signed by President Joe Biden, Nuttelman said it could take two to three years before the city has access to the funds.

“This could result in the Army Corps of Engineers taking over parts of the project or possibly the entire project for us,” he said.

For Easthampton, this is another step in a long process of rehabilitating its water infrastructure. The city has already made some improvements in this area, such as replacing a sewer main and branch line on Cherry Street, which has alleviated sewer backup problems in the neighborhood.

In Northampton, the law could lead to improvements to the city's flood protection infrastructure, which was built by the Army Corps of Engineers after catastrophic flooding in the late 1930s. According to city officials, the system protects more than 2,600 buildings and properties valued at about $1.8 billion.

In 2023, the system faced challenges after unprecedented rainfall pushed the Hockanum Pumping Station to its limits, ultimately causing a fuel delivery system failure and partial flooding of the wastewater treatment plant. As heavy rains become more frequent, city officials hope to secure the resources needed to get the necessary infrastructure up and running.

Once the bill is passed, Northampton will undergo a study by the Army Corps of Engineers that will help with needed improvements to the flood pumping system.

Currently, the Hockanum Pumping Station is powered by three engines. Two of these engines were used on tugboats in the 1930s and maintenance cannot keep up with the demands of the aging system.

“While the current infrastructure has served Northampton well, modernization is necessary to meet current and future needs,” Alan Wolf, chief of staff in the Northampton mayor's office, wrote in an email.

Some improvements to the system are already underway. Northampton underwent an assessment by Tighe & Bond in 2019 that served as the basis for future improvements. Starting in 2023, the city began a series of incremental improvements to the pumping station.

With the help of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and stormwater disposal totaling approximately $1.45 million, the city's Public Works Department replaced its 80-year-old electrical systems and underground fuel tanks.

Now the city is focused on replacing the gas and diesel engines, upgrading the axial feed pumps and rehabilitating the building. City officials estimate that these projects will cost about $10 million, which the city hopes to raise through grants and special funding, including the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grants.

“Upgrading the Hockanum Flood Pumping Station is critical to Northampton's commitment to public safety and infrastructure resiliency,” Wolf said. “These improvements are essential to ensuring the continued protection of residents and economic assets, especially as the city faces increasing climate challenges.”

Alexa Lewis can be reached at [email protected]. Chris Larabee can be reached at [email protected].