Town of Winchester Flood Mitigation Program

For the past six years, Mr. Toohill has been assisting the Town of Winchester in developing a flood mitigation program for the Aberjona River. The project consists of a set of proposed conveyance, storage, operational, regulatory, best management practices, and floodproofing measures intended to reduce the frequency and intensity of backwater flooding of the Aberjona River. The project also includes habitat restoration of this urban river corridor and multiple use of a riparian park system as goals. Over the past two decades (in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2010), the Town of Winchester has experienced significant flooding and flood damages (in excess of $25 million) emanating from the Aberjona River. Mr. Toohill has served as the project manager and principal scientist on this mitigation project. The project's proposed flood control improvements include channel enlargement, removal/replacement of existing hydraulic constrictions, on-line and off-line detention storage, nonstructural public policy controls, and habitat restoration. Mr. Toohill was responsible for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy, stakeholder and political outreach, alternatives analysis, dredged materials evaluation, wetlands/wildlife impact evaluation, and in-stream and bank restoration designs.