Flood Mitigation Program

Over the past several decades, the Town of Winchester has experienced devastating flooding that has imperiled public safety, disrupted businesses and schools, and led to significant economic losses totaling more than $25 million. The frequency and severity of flooding along the Aberjona River prompted the Town to develop a Flood Mitigation Program to address these issues. The Program was subject to review under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), which concluded on April 2, 2010 with the issuance of a Certificate by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. This approval allowed the Town to move into the detailed design and construction phases for the respective projects.

The original Program called for 16 projects to be constructed within the Town of Winchester. However, several of the projects (Projects 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, and 16) were eliminated during the MEPA process, and three mitigation projects were added. The MEPA permit requires that the projects generally be completed in order from downstream to upstream. The current status of the program is described below:

Project Description Status
Project 1 Siphon relocated near Wedgemere Station. Completed by MWRA in 2007
Project 2 Channel widening between Waterfield Road and Manchester Road, removal of the weir at the former USGS gaging station, and removal of adverse channel slopes. Completed in 2012
Project 3 Replacement of gate valves at Center Falls Dam. Completed in 2013
Project 4 Construction of an additional culvert under the Mount Vernon Street bridge. Completed in 2017
Project 5 Construction of an 8x4 foot culvert adjacent to the existing 6x15 foot culvert under Shore Road. Completed in 2002
Project 6 Installation of a 4th culvert under Skillings Field. Completed in 2017
Project 8 Swanton Street bridge improvements. Completed in 2022
Project 10 Culvert improvements at the railroad bridge near the Muraco School. Design underway
Project 12 Removal of a small dam upstream of the railroad bridge near Muraco School. Completed in 2002
Project 13 Installation of a 5x12 foot supplemental box culvert at Cross Street Completed in 2005
Upstream Mitigation Construction of a new outlet control structure at the Scalley Dam at Horn Pond in Woburn. Completed in 2017
Downstream Mitigation   Completed by DCR in 2011/Completed by MassDOT in 2015