Advancing Climate Adaptation and Soil Health in the Fitchburg-Nashua River Watershed
Towns of Fitchburg, Leominster, Ashburnham, Pepperell, and Groton, MA
Project overview
The Fitchburg/Nashua River Watershed Nature-Based Solutions project is a collaborative effort between the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) and Regenerative Design Group (RDG), providing support to five municipalities: Fitchburg, Leominster, Ashburnham, Groton, and Pepperell. The project’s goal was to identify strategic sites for nature-based interventions that will enhance climate resilience and soil health across the watershed.
RDG’s contributions include mapping and analysis aiding a broad understanding of existing soil health and land cover conditions. Employing and evolving RDG’s soil mapping methods, the project resulted in a series of maps, including assessments of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, landcover change, and development pressure. Together, these resources help stakeholders prioritize high-impact nature-based solutions (NbS) that maximize soil function and resilience.
After conducting a watershed-wide analysis, RDG zoomed in on specific sites within each of the five municipalities and recommended actions to improve soil health and the resilience of those sites, as well as the larger watershed system.
The project also emphasizes environmental justice by overlaying demographic data with ecological risk factors, allowing for targeted NBS planning that considers the needs of climate-vulnerable populations.
Services + Accomplishments
- Mapping and analysis of soil health and land cover types across the Nashua River Watershed
- Estimation and assessment of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks for major land types Identification of priority sites for nature-based solutions (NbS) to enhance resilience and ecosystem health
- Creation of detailed maps on land cover change, development pressure, and soil functions for resilience
- Collaboration with local municipalities and stakeholders to guide practices
- Integration of environmental justice considerations, overlaying demographic and ecological risk data to target climate-vulnerable communities
