Charlestown Watershed Master Plan (WMP) - Charlestown Maryland

Charlestown Watershed Master Plan (WMP)

This project will perform hydrologic and hydraulic analyses within an 8-square mile sub-watershed of the North East River to forecast flood vulnerabilities for a range of extreme precipitation events for current and future land use scenarios. The results will be evaluated to create a plan that will identify and design strategic stormwater system improvements, which may include new green and gray infrastructure projects. This plan will also compare updated stormwater runoff scenarios with sea-level rise and storm surge scenarios in the coastal portion of the watershed. The WMP will be developed that identifies recommendations for potential changes to stormwater management regulations, areas to improve upon the existing drainage system infrastructure, designing new structural and non-structural practices, as well as, identifying procedures to establish stormwater easements on existing lots of record and protect and/or acquire sensitive natural areas and flood-prone properties.

Study Area Map

(Click for larger image)

The WMP will explore opportunities and potential partnerships to protect, improve, and expand natural lands that can function to improve the capacity to manage intensified precipitation and its accompanying stormwater run-off and flooding. The Town of Charlestown will be partnering with Dewberry Engineers to prepare the mapping assessment and draft plan. This project will lead to a functional plan that supplements the Comprehensive Plan, and will aid with future policy direction.

Project Timeline

 

Project Update

(Click the image below to enlarge.)

Project Memorandum from Dewberry

The memo describes what we’re looking at for six different flooding scenarios (rainfall and tidal conditions). Each video (see below) is a 60-second time lapse of the flooding that occurs over a 24-hour period. The middle third, or 20-second middle part of the video, tends to be when the flooding is the deepest, lasts the longest, and has the highest velocity. During the next Community Workshop of Monday, June 5 at 6pm, we will review some of the videos, and ask ourselves some of these questions:

  1. Do the videos accurately depict the flooding we’re currently seeing?
  2. Do the method and results make sense?
  3. Are the videos helpful for identifying community problems, as opposed to, just individual property problems?

Our goal for the June 5th workshop is to help create a common sense of understanding of the modelling results, so we can start creating ideas on what to do about the community flooding challenges, such as regulatory changes, incentive programs for projects on private properties, and project ideas themselves. After we synthesize the results of the feedback from the workshop, we’ll finalize more of the technical details of the priority mitigation action and project list, using our prioritization criteria, including flood threat level, critical infrastructure projection, and maintaining access to the Town. We anticipate the draft plan being available for review by the end of August.

(Click the image below to enlarge.)

Video Scenarios

Peddler’s Creek – Downstream – Area 1

 

Peddler’s Creek – Downstream – Area 2

Peddler’s Creek – Upstream – Area 1

Peddler’s Creek – Upstream – Area 2

Red Rum – Area 1

Red Rum – Area 2

2019 Stormwater Vulnerability & Floodplain Management Assessment

Charlestown Assessment Report Final 9.30.2019

Historic Map Town Exhibit | Map 1. Current Floodplain – Townwide | Map 2. Current Floodplain – Impacted Area

Map 3. Storm Surge Vulnerability – Townwide | Map 4. Storm Surge Vulnerability – Impacted Area

Map 5. Sea Level Rise Vulnerability – Townwide | Map 6. Sea Level Rise Vulnerability – Impacted Area

Draft WMP for Review and Comment

Charlestown Watershed Master Plan Final Dec 2023 | Charlestown WMP Appendix 3

Resources

RESIDENTS: Please use the MyCoast webpage to help us document the flooding you might be experiencing, including tides and storm damage. The Town can use this information, along with other emergency managers, to make better decisions.

Please take a moment to complete our Watershed Master Plan Survey regarding flooding around your home and in your neighborhood. Thank you!

Community Workshop #1 – November 16, 2022

Community Workshop #2 – June 5, 2023

What is a Watershed?

Please share this website with your networks to ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate in this planning process. 

For more information, please contact Bryan Lightner, Town Administrator, at 410-287-6173 or blightner@charlestownmd.org.