This project removed three aging dams and replaced a fourth on the Mill River in Taunton, Massachusetts to increase the area’s ecological and community resilience and reduce flooding. These efforts reconnected more than 48 kilometers of rivers and streams linked to Narragansett Bay. 

Dangerous and costly flash floods in Tulsa, Oklahoma resulted in deaths, injuries, and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Mingo Creek was a flood control priority waterway for the city to reduce damage and flood risk. The Tulsa Department of Stormwater Management implemented a voluntary acquisition program by purchasing flooded properties and began floodplain restoration. 

The San Antonio River was historically modified to reduce flooding, leaving it devoid of its ecological function. The Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project aimed to reduce flooding, restore the riverine ecosystem, and provide recreational opportunities to a 13-kilometer stretch of the river.  

After the 2011 Missouri river Flood event, the sponsors of Levee L-575 pursued the Nonstructural alternative (NSA) of a levee setback under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Disaster Operations Public Law 84-99 program. This setback relocated a segment of the levee from its current alignment to a location farther back from the banks. 

Nason Creek was degraded into a straight, disconnected, habitat devoid stream in the 1950s due to levee, railroad, and powerline construction. Chelan county worked to restore habitat, reconnect Nason Creek to its floodplain, and relocate human constraints. This project removed a levee, rerouted a powerline corridor, and restored creek habitat. 

The Illinois Coastal Management Program and Navy Pier, Inc collaborated to redevelop Chicago’s Navy Pier with green infrastructure projects. These projects aimed to reduce runoff, flooding, and pollution. The project planted trees in planters designed specifically for this project to retain and filter stormwater, or redirect it for future use.

The northern barrier bar in North Sandy Pond was experiencing flooding and erosion, and was at risk of a full breach. This project placed local sand in strategic locations to utilize Lake Ontario’s longshore currents to replenish eroded sections of the beach. Volunteers also planted native beach grasses to further stabilize the shoreline. 

In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene brought intense flooding to Otter Creek, causing severe damage to the city of Rutland, but minimal damage to Middlebury, located only 30 miles downstream. Middlebury’s conservation and restoration of Otter Creek’s floodplain and wetlands mitigated potential flood impacts and damage.  

The city of Kinston, North Carolina experienced devastating flood losses in the 1990s. After a string of three hurricanes flooded or damaged over 75% of homes in Lenoir county, Kinston took action to improve flood resiliency. The city purchased flood-prone properties and relocated neighborhoods to higher ground. This restored natural floodplain functions. 

Two major fires and subsequent flooding events wreaked havoc on a critical watershed and reservoir that supplies Denver with water. Water utilities partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and corporate sponsors to manage the watershed and improve forest health.

This project was focused on restoring a half-mile floodplain and terraces along Glorieta Creek within Pecos National Historical Park (NHP), which had been historically mined for sand and gravel and bulldozed into levees and two reservoirs. The main goal was to restore hydrological function by removing the levees and reservoirs and recontouring the creek channel.

Aging infrastructure in Pittsburgh has resulted in sewer overflows and street flooding with more frequent and intense heavy rainfall under climate change. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) identified priority neighborhood and designed an integrated watershed plan utilizing green and gray infrastructure to improve water quality and manage stormwater.

The Puyallup River in Washington state is channelized and disconnected from its floodplain due to levee construction and logging in the region. This has led to habitat degradation for important fish species and a higher risk of flooding and damage to important transportation infrastructure. This project will reconnect over 28 hectares of the floodplain. 

After an extremely heavy rain destroyed almost 500 miles of roadway in Colorado, the state is redesigning roadways and the streams they follow to make the roads more resilient to future floods. Rebuilding strategy include armoring road base away from river and constructing floodplain between the road and the river.

Hampton, Virginia created the state’s first environmental impact bond to finance community resilience projects. The city’s resiliency officer led the effort, and partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an outcomes-based capital firm, and local partners to make the bond and the storm-water management resilience projects a reality.  

Hampton, Virginia created the state’s first environmental impact bond to finance community resilience projects. The city’s resiliency officer led the effort, and partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an outcomes-based capital firm, and local partners to make the bond and the storm-water management resilience projects a reality.  

Between 1890 and 1940, extensive logging using narrow-gauge railroad technology cut over much of the Bluewater watershed. Led by USDA Forest Service, this project implemented a range of channel treatments and interventions to affect flow regimes, channel stability, and water quality, including not only dams and control structures but also riparian plantings, riparian pastures, and beaver management programs.

Multiple organizations are working with public and private landowners to restore the riparian woodlands and enhance grassland habitats throughout the Terlingua Creek watershed. The project involved revegetating riparian plants (specifically Fremont cottonwood and Goodding’s willow), increasing sediment retention and riparian aquifer recharge, and establishing nurseries to generate sustainable native plant material for harvest.

In 2011, a 1,000-year flood caused deaths and over $2 billion in damage in Nashville, Tennessee. The city created a vibrant downtown park that incorporates flood protection measures. Riverfront Park includes a bioswale, bioretention areas, rainwater harvesting infrastructure, green roofs, and permeable pavers to reduce flood impacts. 

The MWRD is working with the village of Robbins to help reduce flooding, restore Midlothian Creek, and create recreational and economic development opportunities to strengthen and revitalize the community. The Robbins Heritage Park and Midlothian Creek Restoration Project helps address overbank flooding through a new stormwater park and pond, along with improvements to Midlothian Creek and an overflow channel.