LARP Graduate Students, Local Officials Team Up to Build Flood Resilience in Vermont’s Deerfield River Valley

In a region long defined by its rivers and mountain valleys, a partnership between the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) and local governments is helping Vermont communities confront the growing threat of flooding.

LARP graduate students, led by Assistant Professor Camille Barchers, have joined with the Windham Regional Commission to help the Deerfield River Valley adapt to climate-driven flooding risks by creating equitable and lasting tools that connect public concerns with meaningful analysis. The collaboration-the Deerfield River Valley RISE (Resilience in Shifting Environments) project-focuses on four southern Vermont towns: Wilmington, Dover, Whitingham and Readsboro.

Members of the Deerfield River Valley RISE project conducting public outreach in Dover, Vt. Top: Students who are participating in the RISE project pose for a group photo with Chris Campany, executive director of the Windham Regional Commission following a recent midterm presentation at the Olver Design Building at UMass Amherst.

"Every year, we work with clients that face complex challenges and help them think through uncertain futures. This year is no different, and the stakes are high in southern Vermont," Barchers says. "We're considering not only how we can help towns respond to disasters, but how they can use planning tools to adapt to a changing river corridor and increasing risk of flood events while preserving their social, cultural and built environments."

The devastation from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 still lingers in local memory. Since then, the region has faced increasingly frequent and severe flooding, most recently during the heavy rains of 2023.

"Ever since Irene, we've been focusing on flood adaptation resilience," says Chris Campany, executive director of the Windham Regional Commission. "What we're trying to do is promote engagement among four towns … and engage the communities in what would flood adaptation look like to them."

Chris Campany, executive director of the Windham Regional Commission

The Deerfield River, which winds through the region before flowing into Massachusetts, is among the most heavily dammed rivers in the country. That legacy, combined with the steep terrain and aging infrastructure, makes managing stormwater and erosion a constant challenge.

At the same time, the four towns are facing a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by an influx of part-time residents during the COVID pandemic, household incomes that aren't keeping pace with inflation and shrinking assistance from the federal government to address climate-related threats. In addition, winter sports, which have long been an economic driver, are confronting dwindling amounts of natural snow and industry consolidation.

Julia Opel, who is pursuing a dual master's degree in sustainability science and regional planning, says RISE uses scenario planning and public engagement to develop strategies the towns can implement together.

"These towns are small and rural, with aging populations and limited funding," Opel explains. "We're trying to think of them as a region so they can collaboratively combine their strengths to overcome their challenges."

The team of 15 students is developing tools and interactive workshops to help residents visualize and prepare for future flood risks. One of their innovations is a flood-planning board game that lets community members simulate how development choices affect flooding outcomes. Players place buildings and infrastructure on a map-only to discover how a simulated "500-year flood" reshapes their towns.

Julia Opel explains a flood-planning board game developed by the RISE Project.

"We did it first with Springfield Honors [Academy] students, but now we're adapting it for local residents," Opel says. "It helps people understand how even small decisions about where and how to build can make a big difference."

The team has been visiting the Deerfield Valley throughout the semester to meet with town leaders, gather feedback and host community "charrettes"-interactive design sessions-that will inform their final recommendations.

Campany says the partnership offers benefits beyond flood planning. "It's great to have a landscape architecture and regional planning program so close to us in Vermont," he notes. "I think it's a great service-learning opportunity for [students] and it provides a real service to the towns that we serve.

"Ever since I was younger, I wondered what tangible steps I could take to change the world. It is nice to know our work in Vermont is just the beginning of creating a better future and inspiring others who may follow in our footsteps," adds Devon Stennett, who is pursuing a master's degree in regional planning.

The students will present their final recommendations to the towns in December. Their findings will become part of the broader Deerfield River Valley RISE initiative, which aims to strengthen local infrastructure, protect historic downtowns like Wilmington's and safeguard the valley's riverside communities for the future.