Remove infrastructure and readjust system

Roads, trails, levees and other forms of infrastructure may become increasingly difficult to maintain as climate change impacts such as more severe storms and higher flow events exert greater and more frequent stress upon them. In some situations (e.g., if human safety is jeopardized), removing or decommissioning infrastructure may represent the most practical and cost-effective approach. Such actions may also be leveraged to improve quality and functionality of aquatic and wetland resources. For example, by ripping a roadbed as part of the decommissioning process, one can restore soil structure and promote groundwater infiltration. Infrastructure removal initiatives that reduce impervious surfaces may result in decreased overland flow and stormwater velocity, thus reducing runoff and erosion and improving water quality. Lastly, infrastructure removal may present opportunities to reconnect floodplains and wetlands to surface waterways, which could result in increased groundwater recharge and flow of cool groundwater in the system.

This strategy addresses adapting infrastructure designs and maintenance to support wetland ecosystems under changing environmental conditions, including infrastructure found within or near wetland watersheds such as bridges, culverts, stream crossings, roads, trails, parking lots, utilities, coastal structures, docks, and piers. Roads, stream crossings, recreational trails, facilities, and other infrastructure are known to affect local landforms and hydrology, particularly where impervious surfaces concentrate water into flow pathways, generating high-velocity runoff and erosion. For this reason, critical evaluation of past design concepts and criteria with additional consideration for a changing climate and altered hydrology may be necessary to minimize risks and safety concerns over the designed lifespan of the unit. A changing climate challenges traditional perceptions of “low maintenance” infrastructure that can be built and left unattended, and heightens the necessity of increased infrastructure monitoring, inspection and routine maintenance. Contemporary philosophies for wetland management, enhancement and restoration have shifted toward the minimization of traditional infrastructure in the watershed, and incorporating natural or low impact development to dissipate excess water can both reduce negative downstream impacts and reduce the need for hard infrastructure. However, changing environmental conditions also merit renewed consideration of infrastructure designs that recognize changing conditions to support wetland function and watershed management.