Sea Level Rise/Resilience
Quick Links
Sea Level Rise Viewer
Tide Height Meters: Southern Island
Introduction
Global warming will continue for the foreseeable future and we will have to deal with the consequences. Sea Level Rise (SLR) caused by the warming planet is a major problem. SLR causes flooding and erodes our coastlines resulting in the loss of real estate and eventually the inundation of infrastructure such as wells and roads. The Town is addressing this problem by forming a SLR ad hoc committee to investigate and propose solutions.
Useful Sea Level Rise Maps
Sebago Technics
Sebago Technics with partner VCTO Labs, and in collaboration with the St. George Resiliency Committee, have conducted a study of sites at risk of flooding with rising tides. Sebago and VCTO Labs presented their work at a community gathering at the school earlier this month. Using drones and other advanced equipment, Sebago and VCTO Labs created 3D LiDAR models of the locations listed below. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technology using lasers to develop incredibly detailed and accurate topographical models.
Check out these amazing models created using LiDAR technology:
More locations will be mapped soon: Rackliff Island Causeway, Turkey Cove Road, Drift Inn Road, Factory Road, Horse Point Road.
Note: The links take longer to load/explore with slower internet speeds. Look for the 'Three Lines' in the upper left corner of the viewer to open Display Options. Detailed viewer help is available using the 'Question Mark' in the viewer lower left corner."
Click here for more images.
Please contact John Maltais (jrmaltais@gmail.com) for more information.
Inundation Maps
Sebago Technics has created a series of Inundation Maps. These maps show the projected impacts to the noted areas with increasing sea level rise, according to various future state models, as noted.
Rising Tides: Safe Roads, Working Waterfronts, Protected History
St. George is undertaking a unique engineering study to address flooding roads and impacts to the town’s historic places caused by rising seas. Focusing on ten sites, this project will help residents understand the challenges and visualize solutions. At the same time, St. George is helping to gather information on the important economic and community value of local fishing and aquaculture and how sea level rise and increasingly severe storms impact our working waterfronts. Planning now will save time and money later.
Round-table discussion was held at the Town Office on February 28th at 5 PM. See Poster for details.
Resilience Newsletter February 2023
Ad hoc SLR Committee
Mission: “The ad hoc SLR committee is comprised of representatives of certain Town boards, committees and commissions as well as interested citizens, in order to explore SLR and related issues that pertain to the Town of St. George, the life of its residents, and the possible future impact on the infrastructure of the Town. It shall coordinate and share information with committees and commissions of the Town, as well as with appropriate county, regional, and state level organizations.”
Its first task was to organize a meeting of key Town members to evaluate the resilience and vulnerability of St. George to SLR.
Meeting Notes
Town Resilience/Vulnerability
The most important step for any town is to assess its strengths and weaknesses to the inevitable rise in sea level and associated storms and surges. The SLR Committee organized a special meeting to assess the vulnerability and resilience of the Town.
Checklist Meeting on Feb 29, 2020
Town officials and others met to complete a checklist developed by the State for assessing our resilience to SLR.
Click on links below for more information
Resilience Committee
After the RSL committee assessed the vulnerable areas for the Town they formed the St. George Resilience Committee supported by the Midcoast Council of Governments and other entities to recommend actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Some proposed actions are:
Detailed mapping of the coast and infrastructure: Sebago Technics 3-D modeling project.
Installing tidal gauges: Manual tide staffs at five Locations and state-of-the-art digital gauges (see Southern Island tide height).
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations: Grant from Efficiency Maine and the Nature Conservancy for two outlets at the Library.
Solar electricity for the School: In progress.
Heat pumps for Town Office: Assessment in progress.
Data Collection and Assessment
In collaboration with the Knox County Emergency Management Agency GIS Program the Town has developed an application to identify vulnerable areas in the Town and give Town residents and managers the tools to see how climate change might affect us in the future.
Click here to use this tool.