CRANSTON, RI – Building on years of work to assist flood-prone residents in the Pocasset River Watershed, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced the Rhode Island office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) has been authorized to implement the Pocasset River Flood Damage Reduction Project. 

The total authorized project cost is estimated at $48.5 million to help prevent and mitigate damage to homes within critical flooding areas along the Pocasset River.  An initial tranche of $12 million is being made available this year thanks to $12 million in earmarks secured by Senator Reed in fiscal year 2022, 2023, and 2024 appropriations laws.

The delegation will work together to make additional federal funding available for the program in the years ahead to provide support for the Pocasset River Flood Damage Reduction Project and advance flood prevention infrastructure upgrades and initiatives in the hardest hit areas.

The Pocasset River routinely floods areas of Cranston and Johnston with flood damage becoming more frequent in recent years.

Flood prevention and mitigation upgrades made possible by this federal funding will protect the safety of Rhode Islanders and help minimize damage to homes in Johnston and Cranston during significant rainfall events. Johnston and Cranston have teamed up to sponsor this project, which will be implemented by Rhode Island NRCS in partnership with the Rhode Island Association of Conservation Districts (RIACD).

A 2008 NRCS study of the Pocasset River Watershed produced recommendations for the plan moving forward today to help residents hardest hit by flooding with voluntary property buyouts.

“Rhode Islanders living in the Pocasset River Watershed deserve the peace of mind of knowing that their families and homes are safe.  I’ve been working on the federal level for more than two decades to channel resources and support to residents in Johnston and Cranston who have been negatively impacted by flooding resulting from significant rainfall events,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.  “As climate change worsens, we know that flooding like what Rhode Island saw earlier this year will only continue to intensify. This federal funding will finally advance critical projects and programs to relocate flood-prone residents, restore natural floodplains that have been built over, and create new flood-related infrastructure to keep back rising waters.”

“Flooding has become a recurring nightmare for residents who live in the Pocasset River floodplain,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.  “The Pocasset River Flood Damage Reduction Project is off to a strong start, and I look forward to unlocking more funds to make Rhode Island more resilient to flooding – all while keeping pressure on the fossil fuel interests behind this climate crisis.”

“With our state experiencing an increase in flooding events as a result of climate change, it’s critical that we’re doing everything we can to help Rhode Islanders prepare for future storms,” said Representative Seth Magaziner. “These federal funds will help prevent damage to homes and businesses and protect the infrastructure we all rely on.”

“Every community in Rhode Island deserves protection from the devastating effects of severe storms and floods,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “I thank my colleagues for their dedicated work to secure federal resources that can help residents in flood-prone areas along the Pocasset River reduce costs associated with this damage.”

“Our federal delegation continues to deliver for the residents of Rhode Island.  I’ve seen firsthand how so many have been forced from their homes, lost priceless personal possessions and incurred thousands of dollars in damage, all due to flooding. With this federal funding, residents now have much needed resources to help fight the severe and pervasive effects of climate change that impact their daily lives,” said Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr..

“We are grateful to receive this project funding and support from the USDA, NRCS and representatives of our federal delegation,” Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins said. “Flooding along the Pocasset River has become a perennial issue with the increased frequency of extreme weather events. Investing in these strategies to protect Cranston's riverfront neighborhoods is crucial to preserve our residents’ quality of life.”

This project was authorized through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (P.L. 83-566) and will be used to restore the Pocasset River’s 100-year floodplain by offering homeowners in Johnston and Cranston neighborhoods voluntary property buy outs, allowing them to relocate out of flood-prone areas. As additional funding becomes available, the Pocasset River floodplain in those areas could then be restored to provide flood attenuation, community open space, recreational benefits, and wildlife habitat. The project will be rolled out incrementally by NRCS and officials expect to begin outreach to eligible neighborhoods one at a time as funding becomes available.

“Floodplains can provide significant protection from flood damages to downstream landowners,” said Phou Vongkhamdy, Rhode Island State Conservationist for NRCS. “This project would significantly limit future uses of land in this floodplain area to make it available to store flood water and provide open space and other community benefits.”

“RIACD looks forward to helping Pocasset River watershed residents get relief from flooding problems that have plagued them for a number of years,” said Richard Went, RIACD President. 

It is estimated by the USDA that this project will help nearly 1,000 residents and reduce average annual flood damages in impacted neighborhoods by around $3.1 million.

As recently as this January, flooding from the Pocasset River displaced or cut off access to dozens of Rhode Islanders from their homes in Johnston and Cranston and resulted in millions of dollars in damages to homes and properties.

Specifically, the project carried out by NRCS in coordination with Johnston and Cranston will include:

  • Acquisition of more than 100 properties located within the 100-year floodplain and demolition of 134 structures located on the properties, resulting in a net restoration of 38.5 acres of floodplain;
  • Dry floodproofing of 25 structures;
  • Construction of a bypass culvert along Simmons Brook; and
  • Removal of a debris dam at the confluence of Simmons Brook and the Pocasset River.

NRCS is a federal agency that works hand-in-hand with conservation districts and the people of Rhode Island to improve and protect soil, water and other natural resources.