Studying Impact of Sea Level Rise
OLD SAYBROOK - If the sea level were to rise, what impact would this change have on the town and its neighborhoods and natural systems?
This question is central to the charge of a newly formed ad hoc committee of the Conservation Commission, the Sea Level Rise/Climate Adaptation Committee. Walter Smith, current chair of the Conservation Commission, will lead the new group.
"This is about how the projected sea level rise over the next 25 years could affect Old Saybrook," Smith told the selectmen. "Because the town is bounded by two significant bodies of water-the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound-the impact from sea level rise could be significant. That's the big thing, to stay ahead of this and understand the science."
First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Jr., told the other selectmen that the new committee would study the science of sea level rise and its impact on the town while also working to gauge and raise town residents' awareness of the issue and its potential impact.
A number of other shoreline towns including the Town of Groton have already completed studies of the impact of possible sea level rise on their communities.
New computerized tools recently released will help the committee to study the impacts of various sea level rise scenarios dynamically. In October 2013, The Nature Conservancy and its partners released Coastal Resilience 2.0, a software program for modeling the impact of sea level rise and storm surge scenarios on vulnerable communities and assets. The modeling and mapping program can also be used to assess the impact of potential risk reduction and restoration solutions on community assets and resources.
The Coastal Resilience software mapping program debuted in 2008. It was developed by TNC in partnership with NOAA, the Natural Capital Project, University of Southern Mississippi, and the Association of State Floodplain Managers. For more information about the suite of computer tools, visit www.coastalresilience.org.
The Town of Old Saybrook is one of the pilot communities for which specific models were developed as part of the software mapping program development effort.
Earlier this month the Old Saybrook Board of Selectmen and the Conservation Commission appealed to town electors, asking for individuals to submit letters of interest if interested in serving on the committee. The letters of interest are to be submitted to the Board of Selectmen, 302 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 and be marked "Town of Old Saybrook Sea Level Rise & Climate Adaptation Committee."
The closing date for submission of letters of interest to the Board of Selectmen is Friday, Feb. 21.