ASHFIELD — An update on a year-long study to determine which sections of the South River are at greatest risk for future flooding and erosion will be presented in the Ashfield Town Hall tonight at 6:30 p.m.
Natural resources planner Kimberly Noake MacPhee of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments will present the flood-erosion risk assessment and mapping project for the watershed, which was paid for by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
MacPhee said this new river corridor map shows not just where the river has flooded, but also “where the river is going to move, over time.”
“It shows where there are threats to bridges, roads and threats to other infrastructure,” she said. MacPhee said this new mapping system, which has been used over the past 20 years to map watershed areas in Vermont, will help town planners in open-space planning, development and hazard mitigation.
Five potential projects identified by the study include a Creamery Brook Road site in Ashfield, as well as ones at Poland Brook near Burkeville Covered Bridge, South River Miso, New Roots Farm and the Old Cricket Hill Road crossing in Conway.
“I want to talk about next steps with the towns,” she said. “I’m really excited that this project has been completed.” MacPhee said she is hoping to continue discussions with Ashfield and Conway on how to use the information as a planning tool for land-use or assessing potential flood impact on public safety, farms, buildings and infrastructure.
For more information, attend the meeting or contact MacPhee at 413-774-3167, ext. 130 or kmacphee@frcog.org