Climate Resilience on the Mystic River

The Mystic River Watershed covers 76 square miles and runs through a critical part of Somerville, near the Amelia Earhart dam. A portion of Somerville’s climate vulnerability stems from its exposure to flooding associated with that dam — not from overtopping, but rather from rising waters being forced around the dam into the neighborhoods of Somerville. It’s a difficult problem to solve, of course, because the effects are spread across Boston, Somerville, Medford and other communities. And, of course, it involves state-owned facilities.

Today, I attended a panel on climate resilience on the Mystic River, which brought together the Sustainability Directors of Somerville and Medford, with the Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association and a planner with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The conversation focused on the collaboration required among communities and organizations. They tried to stay positive, but…