Category Description & Vulnerability Overview
Description
In the Northwest Hills region, infrastructure consists of: dams, road networks, electrical and communications networks, dams, bridges, railroad, water supply systems, sanitary and storm sewer networks, recreational trails, etc. The owners/operators of each particular piece of infrastructure are responsible for the maintenance of the structure. This may be the municipality, state, or private land owner. The maintenance may be the responsibility of the owner or operator but the loss of use may negatively impact a much larger segment of the population. This can make maintenance of the structure with respect to climate change when there is limited technical capacity or funding access. For example, private landowners may maintain dams on their property but do not have the awareness or capacity to analyze and modify the dam to meet climate change impacts from solar radiation, sedimentation, or debris from storm events.
Designs for future infrastructure should incorporate climate change impacts to the highest standards. Municipalities should take care to review the standards with the appropriate experts to protect their long-term investments.
Vulnerability Overview
- Vulnerable populations have limited access to transportation.
- Limited transportation available to transport vulnerable residents to shelters.
- Tree-trimming has altered roadsides to accommodate overhead infrastructure.
- Confusion around possibilities for residential solar.
- High heat may limit speed on passenger rails.
- Increased water needs for irrigation and individual consumption.
- Existing culvert sizes may be inappropriate for flood events and habitat requirements.
- Bridge heights, especially on private driveways and local roads, may not be sufficient height.
- Many railroad lines, wastewater treatment, and water supply/treatment are located in potential flood areas.
- Leaching from active and inactive landfills could increase with significant storm events.
- Flooding is a significant vulnerability in many of the Northwest Hills municipalities. At this point in time, flooding locations are identified by local knowledge and review of FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). Identifying vulnerable flooding areas should improve at the completion of FEMA’s RiskMAP evaluation and digitization of the FIRM maps. Both are expected to be completed in 2022. Below is a list of some areas susceptible to flooding through the region according to the applicable Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans.
Flooding Areas Noted in Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans
Barkhamsted | The long bridge at Pleasant Valley has a history of ice jams. Saville Dam lacks a dam failure study, making the risk from the dam unknown. (LHNHMP) |
Burlington | Digital Firm maps have made it “easier to demonstrate floodplain boundaries to property owners.” Floodprone areas include: Upson road, Foote Road, Covey & Hotchkiss Roads, Main Street in Whigville, Prospect STreet in Whigville, Scoville Road, Vineyard Road, Westside Boulevard, Monce Road, and Route 4. |
Canaan | Significant floodplains especially in Falls Village between Route 126 and Route 7. Beaver dams along Cobble Road. Chronic flooding along Music Mountain. |
Colebrook | The lower end of Sandy Brook near Riverton Road commonly floods, sending water into people’s basements. The town is home to numerous dams that could fail during a flood event. (LHNHMP) |
Cornwall | Historical flooding at West Cornwall bridge, beaver dams, flooding and erosion along River Road. Mill Brook washed out at Lower River Road during Tropical Storm Irene. |
Goshen | The drainage area at Woodridge Lake is particularly of concern according to the town road supervisor due to the increased density of development in this area. Road flooding has occurred in this area in ecent years and there is a need for a comprehensive stormwater drainage study of this part of town to better define drainage improvement needs. (LHNHMP) |
Hartland | No specific spots mentioned. |
Harwinton | The area of greatest concern locally is Leadmine Brook, which continues to flood periodically resulting in the closing of Lead Mine Brook Road. Lake Harwinton Dam is the facility of greatest concern to local officials, and this dam is scheduled to be improved in the near future. (LHNHMP) |
Kent | Flooding along Route 7 on east side and Schaghticoke Road on west side from Housatonic River. Ice jams along Housatonic River. Flooding along Kent Hollow Road from West Aspetuck River. |
Litchfield | Beavers plug culverts on local streets such as Brooks Road, which require routine maintenance by town forces to remove. (LHNHMP) |
Morris | Flooding caused by beavers remains a problem. The East Shore Road area experiences periodic flooding due to poor drainage.(LHNHMP) |
New Hartford | Several critical facilities noted in potential floodplain. Public Works Department proposed for relocation. Beavers have caused problems in culverts. Culvert at Carpenter Road is undersized. |
Norfolk | Flooding on Parker Hill Road at Hall Meadow Brook and along Blackberry River. (LHNHMP) |
North Canaan | No specific spots mentioned. |
Roxbury | Flooding near Judds Bridge, Hodge Park, Wellers Bridge, Route 67, Squire Road at Route 67, and Botsford Hill Road at Route 67. Small private dams are significant concern. |
Salisbury | Flooding near Salmon Kill Road, Housatonic River Road, Dugqay Road, Old Asylum Road, Lincoln City Road, and Riga Road. |
Sharon | Beaver dams especially along West Cornwall Road and Surdan Mountain Road. Flooding at main business area near supermarket (Low Road, Murtagh Road, and Route 41). |
Torrington | Drainage problems cause seasonal flooding at Oak Avenue and Albert Street, and at Vista Drive. Flooding along the Naugatuck River remains a concern despite flood control dams installed after the flood of 1955. The city has a large number of properties requiring flood Insurance from FEMA. These properties will become increasingly difficult to maintain if flood insurance premiums increase. (LHNHMP) . |
Warren | Sucker Brook Corridor of concern. College Farms Road, Reed Road, and Curtiss Road were washed out or toppled during Tropical Storm Irene. |
Washington | Significant flooding along Shepaug River. |
Winchester | Pratt Street, where periodic flooding damages yards and the local road on a regular basis needs upgrades to its drainage systems. Inadequate storm drains on Gay Street, Case Avenue and Center Street result in periodic flooding. Flood control gates at the Highland Lake outlet control structure need to be replaced. Beaver dams frequently result in plugged culverts on local streets such as along the Old Waterbury Turnpike near Rugg Brook Reservoir. The town has actually needed to close a section of this road due to a recurring problem with water ponding and road washout. (LHNHMP) |
Litchfield Hills Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 2016 Update includes: Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, Torrington and Winchester. Towns served by individual plans created in 2014: Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Roxbury, Warren, and Washington. The multi-jurisdictional plan for the former Central Connecticut region 2016 includes Burlington. |

Potential Partners & Funding Streams
Please send any suggested partners, grants, or resources to info [at] joannaw1.sg-host.com.
Potential Partners
- CT DOT
- US DOT
- Federal Highway Administration
- NHCOG Road Supervisors Committee
- Water and electric utilities
- Municipal potable water, sanitary sewer, and storm-sewer operators
- Local Public Works Departments
- USDA Rural Development
- Northwest ConneCT
- COGs
- Transit Districts
- CT DEEP
- CT NEMO
Potential Funding Streams
- USDA Rural Development (assistance with municipal water systems, well replacement for elderly, etc.)
- CT OPM LOTCIP, STEAP grants
- CT Department of Administrative Services
- DEHMS/FEMA Flood Mitigation, Pre-disaster Mitigation, and Hazard Mitigation Grants
- US FHWA
- EPA
- FEMA
- US HUD
General Tools
CT DEEP Climate Adaptation and the Built Environment and Infrastructure
NWF Green Works for Climate Resilience This guide discusses sea-level rise, coastal flooding, and erosion (includes marine as well as freshwater coasts in the Great Lakes region); drought and increasing aridity; extreme heat and the urban heat island effect; inland flooding and stormwater management; and changes to the natural landscape. It has a number of example case-studies for different infrastructure adaptations.
Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Case Studies, FHWA
National Climate Assessment Highlight on Infrastructure
US Resiliency Council While the information is primarily about seismic hazards (December 2018), the USRC is currently developing ratings for other hazards, including wind, wildfire and flood.
VTrans Climate Change Adaptation White Paper 2012– This report is an overview of climate related adaptation and resilience oriented efforts both underway and under consideration by the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
DHS’s Incorporating Resilience into Critical Infrastructure Projects: This guide provides those working on critical infrastructure programs with information and steps to take that can enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure systems. It will help decision makers prioritize projects that advance resilient infrastructure through design and investment choices.
Lessons Learned from Irene Severe flooding was particularly devastating for transportation infrastructure, requiring the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to take a leading role in the recovery. The extent of the damage, however, proved too much for a single agency to manage alone. VTrans’ leadership sought help from the state’s 11 regional planning commissions (RPCs) to assume responsibility for assessing needed local road repairs.
NIST’s Community Resilience Planning Guides: Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems provides communities with an approach to improve their resiliency by prioritizing resources and incorporating resiliency into zoning, codes, policies, and economic development activities, in order to manage risks from hazards to buildings and infrastructure. NIST’s Economic Decision Guide accompanies the Community Resilience Planning Guide to help communities evaluate decisions for resiliency-focused capital investment projects.
Adaptation Assessment Guidebook: New York City Panel on Climate Change (2010) Annex A has several very useful questionnaires for reviewing vulnerabilities of communications, energy, transportation, water and waste, and policy infrastructure
Case Study SECCOG Critical Facilities
Case Study Town of Morris LID Manual
Connecticut River Flow Viewer This map tool displays the return interval of flow rates for points along CT river networks. A google map interface is used to display locations where flow rate data exists. Users can zoom to a location of interest and click on a specific point to view a graph displaying flow rates over different return intervals. These graphs show the upper and lower boundary for return intervals of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 years at specific river locations. To view the data, click on a point of interest to activate a graph of river flow rates for different storm events.
Actions
The section is divided into the following major categories:
A tabular version of the actions is also available.
Energy
Partners: CT PURA, local/regional school districts, Public Works/Building Manager
Tools: 2014 Integrated Resources Plan For Connecticut, CT DEEP
Partners: CEOs, CT DEEP, NHCOG
Tools: Ridgefield CT Municipal Fleet
Partners: EMDs, CEOs
Partners: CEOs, local conservation organization, Conservation Commission, CT DEEP, PURA
Tools: CT Green Bank (Solarize Connecticut, C-Pace municipalities, Lead by Example)
CT Microgrid Program
NY Climate Smart Webinar "Building Clean and Resilient Local Power: NY Prize Update & Microgrid Case Studies"
Partners: land use commissions, Utilities, NorthwestConneCT, CT PURA, CT DOT, Public Works
Land Use
Tools: EPA WEPPCAT Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) Model
Partners: Utilities, NorthwestConneCT, CT PURA, CT DOT, Public Works
Tools: Tree management - Uconn Stormwise Program, Tom Wordsley
Facilities & Buildings
Partners: CT DEEP, local land trusts, municipal departments
Tools: California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research “Fire Hazard Planning” report
Partners: Public Works, Tree Warden, local conservation groups, land use commissions
Tools: SECCOG Critical Facilities Vulnerability Assessment
CT NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance
Nature Conservancy Climate Wizard
Conservation Commissions & Climate Change
US National Phenology Network
Resilient Rural Webmap
Partners: Public Works
Tools: Heat Island Effects in Northwest Region
Tools: Connecticut’s Weatherization Assistance Program from CT DEEP
Weatherization Assistance Program for low-income and elderly from US DOE
Partners: EMDs, Public Works, CEOs, building department
Tools: CT Building Code
Solid Waste Management
Transportation
Partners: FAA, CT DOT, local airports
Partners: Public Works, CT DOT, railroad owners, land trusts
Tools: Fact sheet on municipality's ability to abandon a road continually threatened by flooding is forthcoming from AdaptCT.
USDA Climate Hubs' “The Future of Winter Roads”
EPA WEPPCAT Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) Model
Partners: Public Works, CEOs
Tools: Community Walk Score
Partners: local land trusts, Parks & Rec, NHCOG, CT DOT, Public Works
Tools: NHCOG Regional Trails Assessment
Partners: Public Works, municipal departments, land use commissions, CT DOT, NWCD, and Lake Waramaug Task Force
Tools: Town of Morris LID Manual
Stormwater Calculator with Climate Assessment Tool, EPA
EPA Green Infrastructure website
Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook
Enhancing Sustainable Communities With Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Help Communities Better Manage Stormwater While Achieving Other Environmental, Public Health, Social, and Economic Benefits (2014), EPA
Green Infrastructure Tools, NOAA
Partners: REPT ESF Transportation, Public Works, CT DOT, NWCTD, NHCOG, local land use commissions, Councils of Government, local economic development commissions
Tools: Climate Change Adaptation Guide for Transportation Systems Management, Operations, and Maintenance
Partners: CEOs, Public Works, CT DOT
Tools: Hartford’s Green Infrastructure Handbook
Pavement Interactive—Cool Pavement
Partners: local/regional conservation organizations, Public Works, CT DOT
Tools: HVA Culvert Assessment Program
North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative Database search page
US DOT Vulnerability Assessment Scoring Tool
Partners: local/regional conservation organizations, Public Works, CT DOT
Water
Partners: CT DEEP, hydropower facilities, private property owners, EMDs
Tools: local or multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans
Partners: Public Works, CT DOT, local conservation organizations
Tools: Stormwater Calculator with Climate Assessment Tool, EPA
Storm Water Management Model with Climate Adjustment Tool
Partners: Public Works, CT DOT, local conservation organizations
Tools: Antioch University New England Webinar "Where to Put the Water: Assessing the Vulnerability of Urban Stormwater Systems to a Changing Climate"
Partners: EMDs, REPT, COGs
Tools: Worksheet—Plan Cross References
Partners: EMDs, local conservation organizations, REPT, River conservation organizations, CT DOT, CT DEEP
Tools: Shane Csiki, NH DES— Ice Jam Training
Partners: EMDs, CEOs
Tools: local or multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans
SECCOG Critical Facilities Vulnerability Assessment
Fall 2019 “New Hampshire Flood Response Toolkit”
EPA Flood Resilience Checklist
Maine Flood Resilience Checklist (2017)
Partners: Fire department, EPA, local health department, local businesses
Tools: Waterford Municipal Infrastructure Resilience Project Sewer Pump Station Assessment & Adaptation
Tools: New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission website
Partners: local land use commissions, health departments
Tools: "Requiring new homes to reuse water (Residential Gray Water Stub-out Building Code), 2013, Chula Vista, CA"
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Water Recycling and Reuse: The Environmental Benefits.
Partners: Utilities, Public Works
Partners: Utilities, Public Works
Partners: CEOs, CT Water Planning Council, local land use commissions, TAHD, local health districts
Tools: Greenwich Drought Ordinance
2018 CT Drought Preparedness and Response Plan
Northeast Drought Early Warning Center
US Drought Portal
CT Water Status Site
Partners: CEOs, Utilities, Public Works, COGs
Partners: local land use commissions and departments
Partners: TAHD, health districts, Conservation Commission, building department
Tools: King County, WA program to incentivize or give away rain barrels
Partners: Water utilities, WUCCs, conservation organizations, land trusts
Partners: TAHD, CT DPH, CT DOH, Public Works, CT DOT
Tools: Dr. Gary Robbins, UConn
Minnesota Stormwater Manual Road salt, smart salting and winter maintenance
Partners: Water Utility Coordinating Committees (WUCC); CT DPH; health departments, CT DEEP
Partners: WUCCs; CT DPH; health departments
Tools: EPA CREAT
2018 CT Drought Preparedness and Response Plan
USDA Rural Development
Tools: local and multi-jurisdictional natural hazard mitigation plans
Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU), EPA
Table 5-1, Theme 1-A recommendations on generator usage in Drinking Water Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Plan
Communications
Partners: Utilities, Public Works, REPT, Amateur Radio Network
Partners: EMDs, REPT, COGs
Partners: local conservation organizations, building departments
Tools: local/multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans