Researcher(s)
- Catherine Boettger, Landscape Horticulture and Design, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Zachary Hammaker, , University of Delaware
Abstract
This summer, Cate Boettger, Talia Brinker, and Bri Egan worked in the Coastal Resilience Design Studio. Each year a student-led team with different disciplines is formed with professors and mentors to guide and help us. Each year, this studio works with a coastal town to create a resiliency plan with holistic and informed designs and implementations. This year, we’re working with the town of Milton in Delaware. We’ve learned a lot working with a strong community in a historic town. The watershed that Milton is in has large areas of open and natural land, is in the center of two wildlife refuges with a few other surrounding parks. However, the town faces a lot of pressure from future development outside the town boundary, increased danger of storm-related flooding, and sea-level rise. The “squeeze” created from increased stormwater flooding will result in development and land cover change, and increased tidal flooding from the coast.
Our project aimed to address these issues through a three-pronged strategy: mitigating stormwater runoff, enhancing pedestrian connectivity to regional amenities, and protecting critical ecosystems.
The Trail Team focused on creating a trail system to improve connectivity within Milton and to nearby amenities while supporting land preservation, ecological corridors, and floodplain protection. The Stormwater Group designed infrastructure solutions, such as underground water storage, to manage stormwater effectively given Milton’s low elevation and limited space for natural solutions. The Downtown Group addressed downtown Milton’s specific issues, including flooding, habitat deficits, infrastructure needs, and inadequate protection for juvenile fish.
Our ultimate goal is to integrate these efforts into a comprehensive resiliency plan that will be presented to the mayor and community, and become a booklet for the town to follow.