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Home > Departments > Flood Control Commission
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Chairman: Alvin see
Commission Members:
Margaret Holmes George Martin
John Moriarty James Phillips
Barry Plumley Henry Warchol
59 Court Street
Westfield, MA 01085
(413)572-6219 (Engineering Dept.) |
| Introduction | Situated at the convergence of the Little River and the Westfield River the City receives runoff from a watershed of 497 square miles, ten times the total area enclosed within the City’s municipal boundary of approximately 47 square miles. The Westfield River basin has the 5th largest watershed in the Connecticut River Basin. To mitigate this situation a series of dikes and control structures have been constructed, which would ideally protect the City from a bench mark flood event known as the 100 year flood (a flood which is expected to recur every one hundred years). The west branch of the Westfield River remains unregulated and Little River contains reservoirs, which are not flood control dams and will freely discharge in a storm event. The worst flood of record in the City was in 1938, which exceeded the 100-year flood.
A Westfield River Basin Study performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1986 demonstrates the peculiar vulnerability of the City of Westfield to flood events. Included therein are maps depicting experienced rainfall contours for each of the major flood events on record. The study further identifies the expected shortfalls of Knightville Dam and suggests additional measures for the protection of the City.
The nature of floods and their slow recurrence intervals lessens the urgency of planning for them, however, it can not be refuted that the City of Westfield is FLOOD PRONE.
It is therefore a vital interest of the City to maintain its facilities in order to minimize the damage and hopefully avert tragedy. Growth of large trees in the dike threatens to over turn during flood events thereby weakening the structure. Heavy undergrowth in the flood way (narrows of the river) obstructs the flow, thereby slowing the velocity of the flood and raising its maximum height. Such growth further collects debris or ice carried by the river, which can in itself cause flooding. Such an event occurred in Montpelier, VT in 1993 when an ice dam built up in the river. A similar situation occurred in Westfield in March of 1936.
The City has built a Pump Station off of Meadow Street, which in the event of a flood will relieve storm drainage and sanitary sewage accumulation behind the dike. In addition flood control structures have been built on the Arm Brook and Powdermill Brook in response to the 1955 flood to mitigate flash flood events.
The City Code of Ordinances 13-51 established a Flood Control Commission on December 1, 1960 and an addendum in September 21, 1961, after the flood of 1955. |
| Meetings | | The Flood Control Commission meets at 7 PM every 3rd Wednesday of the month in City Hall, with limited funds it manages the Cities flood control structures. |
A City Flood Zone District was established on January 21, 1971.
Qualifying properties (structures in place before the establishment of the Flood Zone District) may apply for subsidized flood insurance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development - Federal Insurance Administration. |
| | The Westfield River has in place an automated computerized early flood warning system. |
| | Westfield has an old dike system put in place prior to 1869 and modified in 1955 along portions of the Westfield River and Little River. |
| The Soil Conservation Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, constructed two small flood control dams on the cities north side after the flood of 1955. The Army Corps of Engineers inspects it every second year. The two flood control impoundments are inspected annually by the SCS Soil Conservation Service and the DEA Mass Department of Environmental Affairs. Maintenance requirements of the structures are the responsibility of the City of Westfield. |
| Much of the eastern lowland sections of Westfield and Little Rivers are located in the projected 100 year flood zone. |
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