FLOOD MODELING AND MITIGATION

EDD is working with partners in Puerto Rico to mitigate flooding within a densely populated, low-income community on Caño Martin Peña (CMP) channel with inadequate water and drainage infrastructure.

Waste and stormwater discharges from the 3.2 km² community have caused extensive flooding and damage to the adjacent coastal and marine habitats. Both the community and the ecosystems along the CMP have become national priorities for improvement.  EDD is working closely with the client, a community-based organization, and landscape architecture firm Olin Studio to address these concerns with a Comprehensive Infrastructure Master Plan. The planned interventions will reduce flooding, repair failing water services, improve the quality of life of residents, and restore marine resources and natural habitats.  In support of this effort, EDD is developing a PC-SWMM based Hydrologic & Hydraulic (H&H) Model of the 113 km² watershed to simulate the effects of sea level rise, extreme rainfall events, and increased storm surge based on regional climate change predictions.  The model will inform habitat restorations and proposed interventions such as green infrastructure and improved drainage infrastructure. EDD is taking a comprehensive approach integrating estuarine ecology, fluvial geomorphology, hydrology and hydraulics, and water quality to ensure that interventions are effective while meeting local and national standards, preserving natural resources, and promoting community benefits and stability.