New England agricultural and undeveloped rural forested lands are often located in river corridors and play a crucial role in diminishing the destructive power of floodwaters by receiving, spreading, and slowing the flood wave as it moves through a watershed. Farms are therefore at the forefront of flood concerns, both as potential source and victim or the problem.

Funding: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

Christine Hatch
Lead Investigator
Christine Hatch

RiverSmart Principal Investigator for River Science Research and Extension

Extension Assistant Professor

RiverSmart Principal Investigator for River Science Research and Extension
Extension Assistant Professor
Department of Geosciences
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Email: chatch@geo.umass.edu(link sends e-mail)
Tel: (413) 577-2245
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Project Summary

This project used state-of-the-art assessment techniques to create a map of the river corridor for the Deerfield River in Massachusetts and Vermont, where considerable activity and excitement surrounding responsible whole-watershed management is underway, and existing funded projects can be leveraged for maximum benefit. Through this map, we will determine best-practices for fluvial geomorphic assessments for application elsewhere. On this corridor map we will then overlay maps of existing farmlands to target floodplain and river corridor farms for outreach efforts to disseminate educational materials highlighting the role farms play in floodplains.

We will integrate our knowledge with the basin's agricultural stakeholders in an effort to provide them with needed tools and support, including fact sheets and kits for flood preparedness, strategies for riparian land management to maximize overall watershed/river health and minimize damages, sources for relief and post-disaster assistance, and pro-active measures for riverfront property management (and potential for profit).

Aerial View of Farmland
People

Lead Investigator

  • Christine Hatch, Extension Assistant Professor, UMass Amherst Geosciences

Researchers

  • Benjamin Warner - FFFGM Project Manager and Post Doctoral Researcher: Water-Related Hazards to Resilient Agricultural Systems | Website
  • John Gartner, Post-Doctoral Researcher, UMass Amherst Geosciences | Website

Current Student Researchers

Past Student Researchers

Noah Slovin - Master of Science, UMass Amherst Geosciences
Alexander Schwartz - Undergraduate,  UMass Amherst Geosciences

UMass Project Support Team

  • Steve Mabee - Massachusetts State Geologist, UMass Amherst Geosciences
  • Marie-Françoise Hatte - Support Staff, Associate Director Water Resources Research Center
  • Jerry Schoen (retired) - Project Outreach and Education Coordinator, Water Resources Research Center

Task Force

  • Carrie Banks - MA DER
  • Shane Csiki - NH DES
  • Heidi Davis - MA DEP
  • Tim Dexter - MA DOT
  • John Field - Field Geology Services
  • Linda Hutchins - MA DCR
  • Scott Jackson - UMass Extension
  • Mike Kline - VT ANR
  • Jim MacBroom - Milone & MacBroom, Inc.
  • Kimberly MacPhee -FRCOG
  • Mickey Marcus - New England Environmental
  • Nick Nelson - Interfluve
  • David Nyman - Comprehensive Environmental, Inc.
  • Dana Ohman - MA F&W
  • Jane Peirce - MA DEP
  • Joe Rogers - Rushing Rivers Institute
  • Noah Snyder -  Boston College
  • Daniel Vellone - MA NRCS
What we Learned