Reading, MA August 2nd. Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) joined approximately 40 constituents on a sweltering August day to celebrate initial passage of a $1.5 million Community Project grant for a flood- and heat-resilient project in Reading. Once the final federal budget passes this winter, the Town of Reading will use the funds to restore and construct a stormwater wetland to manage local and regional flooding, and to provide shady, nature-based outdoor amenities for residents and visitors.
MyRWA staff and fellows (kneeling) join Congressman Moulton, state legislators, and Town of Reading officials at the Maillet, Sommes & Morgan Conservation Land, August 2, 2022 (credit: Town of Reading)
This project is the result of over three years of collaborative research among 17 cities and towns in the Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC). Funded by two state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grants, municipal staff and consultants modified and ground-truthed a watershed-wide hydrologic model that shows where projected flooding will occur from climate-intensified rainstorms. Second, the group identified and prioritized 465 possible locations three or more acres in size for possible nature-based flood control. This list was narrowed to 120 viable locations, then to 18 top candidates, then to six. Reading’s 19-acre Maillet, Sommes & Morgan Conservation Land was chosen as one of the top sites for design, funding, and construction, along with locations in Medford, Arlington, Woburn, Everett, and Lexington.
When this project is complete, it will manage stormwater flooding and pollution going into the headwaters of the Mystic River, improve wildlife habitat, and create new walking trails and other park amenities to help people stay cool during increasingly hot summers. "We are excited about the funding opportunity Rep. Moulton is bringing to this region," Reading Town Manager Fidel Maltez said. "Reducing flooding for thousands will improve public safety and reduce property loss, as well as enhance our trails and protect our natural resources."
Alex Rozycki, Reading’s Senior Civil Engineer, and Cat Pedemonti, MyRWA’s Environmental Resiliency Manager, have been spearheading this project. The two were instrumental in securing community support and both federal and state funding to complete this project.
“We’re thrilled to see Reading secure this funding to help the town become more flood- and heat-resilient as climate change brings on more extreme weather,” said Julie Wormser, MyRWA’s Senior Policy Advisor. “We are so grateful to Congressman Moulton for his support and vision in protecting the people and places of Reading for years to come.”
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