Challenge
Groton Long Point, a community within the Town of Groton, faces increasing coastal and inland flooding due to sea level rise, extreme precipitation, and aging stormwater infrastructure. In 2025, GZA advanced GLPA’s Resiliency and Sustainability Plan in which GZA identified vulnerable assets, including critical facilities and roadways to a 30% design of climate adaptation projects with an EPA Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant and GLPA funding.
Solution
With EPA funding from the Long Island Sound Partnership and oversight by Connecticut Sea Grant, GZA developed an EPA QAPP document and conceptual designs for select proposed project sites. As part of the conceptual design phase, two priority projects were recommended for further evaluation, including the West Shore Ave Stormwater Improvements and the Upper Lagoon Raised Walking path. This project phase was GLPA funded to advance these two projects to a 30% design level. GZA performed a topographic survey of the GLPA stormwater infrastructure connected to the Upper Lagoon. The topographic survey was used to inform a hydraulic model of the stormwater system. The hydraulic model was used to evaluate the performance of the flood mitigation options under various flood conditions, including combined precipitation and coastal flooding. The mitigation projects were advanced to a 30% design level. GLPA is now applying to complete the design and permitting with a Connecticut DEEP Climate Resiliency Fund Round 2 Advancement funds announced in a NOFO on October 4, 2025.
Benefit
The project provided GLPA with clear, actionable projects to reduce flood risk in Groton Long Point, supported by technical analysis. The study improved the client’s understanding of flooding vulnerabilities and laid the groundwork for securing resilience funding through grant-ready designs. This effort not only supports long-term adaptation design but also demonstrates the value of proactively completing community-informed planning.
