Town of Burlington, MA Conservation Commission Burlington, MA

Vine Brook Watershed Flood and Urban Heat Island Assessment

BSC conducted the Vine Brook Watershed Flood and Urban Heat Island Assessment to address urban flooding from extreme precipitation and heat impacts from projected climate events. The project evaluated the highly developed watershed for opportunities to implement Nature-based Solutions through protection, restoration, and management of natural resources.

BSC supported the Town in securing funding for the project through the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program. To understand where and how Nature-based Solutions could be most effective across residential, commercial, and natural landscapes, BSC combined desktop geospatial analysis with field data collection to identify and prioritize suitable locations within the watershed.

Public engagement was a key component, including surveys, school-based activities, a project website, and an interactive StoryMap. The project resulted in a suite of resilience actions to guide municipal decision-making, as well as a Nature-based Solutions opportunity table ranked by feasibility and effectiveness. For six priority study sites, BSC prepared detailed memos outlining recommended resilience actions, project prerequisites, order-of-magnitude budgets, and high-level implementation schedules, helping the Town plan for future funding and action.