Charles River Flood Model Part I: Stormwater Modeling
Mapping Future Flooding in the Upper and Middle Charles River Watershed
The Charles River Watershed
Changes in Precipitation
A Watershed View
Flooding impacts from increased precipitation do not follow city and town boundaries. For example, an extreme precipitation event in Wellesley (upstream) might cause flooding in Newton (downstream). A watershed view is critical to understanding where flooding happens and who will be affected. Using a watershed-based model will provide:
- A more accurate representation of flooding risks from precipitation based flooding
- A better understanding of flood depths, volume, duration, and extent across the watershed
- An easier approach to evaluate and visualize the benefits of flood reduction strategies (See our story map Part II: Nature-Based Solution scenarios)
Model Development
The Charles River Flood Model was developed for the upper and middle Charles River watershed, an area of approximately 280 square miles. It includes most of the watershed outside the highly urbanized areas of Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline.
Future Increases in Flooding
Future Storm Simulations
Want to see how Nature-Based Solutions can reduce flooding in the watershed? Click on the button below to view seven nature-based flood mitigation strategies used in the flood model.
Read the final Charles River Flood Model Climate Adaptation & Flood Mitigation Implementation Plan for an in-depth dive on the flood model and report
Check out the Charles River Flood Model Map Viewer below!
The Charles River Flood Model Results Viewer allows you to preview flooding impacts from various storm events within the watershed. The viewer also demonstrates the potential flood reduction benefits from the installations of green infrastructure systems and upland storage.
To view a specific area, click the map to interact. Zoom in with the +/- buttons in the top left corner. In the "Model Results" tab on the right side, select the storm event or green infrastructure (GI) scenario you would like to view. Toggle the scenarios on and off to view the change in flooding. For the full web mapping experience, click the launch button in the top right corner.
Click on the button below to watch a tutorial on how to use the Charles River Flood Model Map Viewer.
Modeling Results Viewer
FAQ
Why is the model only for the Upper and Middle watershed, and not the Lower watershed?
Detailed stormwater system models for the Lower Watershed, including Boston , Cambridge , and Somerville , have already been developed and published.
Is the Charles River Flood Model Accurate?
The Charles River Flood Model uses several ways to verify the Model's accuracy. Read more in our Model Development section or the final report here ! Since the simulated peak discharge rates and total flood volumes in the Charles River watershed matched historical March 2010 values at multiple locations in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the watershed, it indicates that the Model is well-suited to simulate flooding impacts throughout the watershed during a wide range of storm events.
How much worse will flooding get in the Charles with climate change?
Climate change will bring more extreme storm events to the Charles River Watershed and can add up to 78% more flooding (+2,733 acres in a 2-yr storm event) and up to 61% more in total runoff volume (+11,281 million of gallons in a 100-yr storm event).
