Maps & Resources

Reports, Publications & Theses

Fact Sheets

Changing Flood Risk in the Lamprey River Watershed

Maps

2. Our project has modeled and mapped existing and potential future 100-year floodplains in Lamprey River Watershed. Information in the maps can be used for municipal and regional planning, emergency management, zoning, master plan updates, and infrastructure projects.

A series of floodplain maps depicts the extent of 100 year floods for the following conditions:

Past conditions (these at the existing FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps [FIRMs])
Updated (2005) Conditions
(2005 land use and 100 year, 24 hour precipitation of 8.5”)
2100 Conditions (for both Conventional and Low Impact Design buildout scenarios)

1 percent chance annual flood maps for several climate and land cover scenarios are available from NH Granit.

    Watershed Map - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout
    Watershed Map - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout with Aerial Photo Base
    Watershed Map - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 LID Buildout

Durham - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout
Durham - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 LID Buildout

Epping - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout
Epping - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 LID Buildout

Lee - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout
Lee - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 LID Buildout

Newmarket - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout
Newmarket - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 LID Buildout

Raymond - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 Conventional Buildout
Raymond - FIRM, 2005 Conditions, 2100 LID Buildout

3. Trends in Land Use

Future Land Use Scenarios

Click here to see a movie of the four maps above. The movie shows increasing development in the watershed over almost 50 years. Watch the red areas of land, which represent development, increase with time.

4. Maps of the economic damage associated with different sized floods (e.g., 1%, 2%, 5% 10%, and 25% annual chance flood) for different climate and land cover scenarios (based on FEMA Hazus analysis) are available in the Appendix of the 2016 Geosyntec Report.

A selection of maps that focus on the estimated economic damage associated with the 1percent annual chance flood in 2005 and 2050 are included in the Fact Sheets on Changing Flood Risk in the Lamprey River Watershed for Epping, Lee-Durham-Newmarket, and Raymond.

Just the maps of estimated economic damage associated with the 1percent annual chance flood in 2005 and 2050 for specific regions are available below

Epping:
2005 2050

Lee-Durham-Newmarket:
2005 2050

Raymond:
2005 2050

Reports, Publications & Theses

Hamilton, L, CP Wake, J Hartter, TG Safford, A Puchlopek (2016) Flood Realities, Perceptions and the Depth of Divisions on Climate. Sociology 50(5) 913-933.
Economic impacts data from Geosyntec Consultants (2016): Analysis of flood damage cost avoidance in the Lamprey River watershed of New Hampshire.
Vermont Law School (2016): New Floodplain Maps for a Coastal New Hampshire Watershed and Questions of Legal Authority, Measures and Consequences.
Scholz, A, R Roseen, and C Wake (2012) Water Surface Elevation and Flood Flows at Lamprey River Cross Section.
Scholz, A (2011) Climate and Land Use Consequences to 100-Year Flooding. M. Sc. Thesis, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Wake, C (2009) Asessing the Risk of 100-year Freshwater Floods in the Lamprey River Watershed of New Hampshire Resulting from Changes in Climate and Land Use. Final Report
Wake, C, F Rubin, R Roseen, A Scholz, M Simpson, C Sinnott (2013) Review of Land Development (Build-out) and Climate Scenarios.

Presentations

Trends in Extreme Precipitation in New Hampshire and Floods on the Lamprey River
Trends in Land Development and Population in Lamprey River Watershed Municipalities
9 January 2014 Past, Present and Potential Future 100-year Floods in the Lamprey River Watershed (2014)
1 June 2012 “Past, Present, and Potential Future 100-Year Floods in the Lamprey River Watershed". Presented at the Flood Plains of the Lamprey River Workshop, Raymond, NH.
1 June 2012 “Questions of Legal Authority, Measures, and Consequences”. Presented at the Flood Plains of the Lamprey River Workshop, Raymond, NH.
23 March 2012 “Mapping and Legal Implications of Future Flooding in the Lamprey River Watershed of New Hampshire Due to Changes in Land Use and Climate”. Presented at the Nh Water and Watershed Conference, Plymouth State University, NH
21 March 2012 “Climate and Land Use Consequences to 100-Year Flooding”. Presented at the Nebraska Post-Construction Stormwater Workshop, Lincoln, Nebraska.
6 January 2012 “Consequences of Changing Climate and Land Use to 100-Year Flooding”. Presented at the 5th Annual Lamprey River Symposium
23 May 2011. "Climate and Land Consequences to 100-Year Flooding." Presented at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress.
18 May 2011. "Changing Climate and Land Use: Consequences for 100-Year Flooding in the Lamprey River Watershed of New Hampshire." Presented at the Association for State Floodplain Managers.

Graphs

The following series of graphs shows land use and population change over the period of 1962-2005 (the same time period as the land use maps above) for the towns that comprise the Lamprey River Watershed.

Graph 1. Land use change over time, by town in the Lamprey River Watershed. (Cameron Wake)

Graph 2. Population change over time, by town in the Lamprey River Watershed. (Cameron Wake)

Graph 3. Land use and population change over time, by town in the Lamprey River Watershed. (Cameron Wake)

Links to Other Resources

Current water flows on the Lamprey River

Lamprey River Watershed Association

Lamprey River Advisory Committee

NH's Office of Strategic Initatives — Floodplain Management Program

FEMA Flood Insurance Rate maps (FIRMs)

USGS Factsheet on the effects of urban development on flooding

Explore what other NH communities are doing to reduce flood risk

Association of State Floodplain Managers — Allow "No Adverse Impact" principles to guide regulations

Maine Flood Resilience Checklist: A self-assessment tool for Maine's coastal communities to evaluate vulnerability to flood hazards and increase resilience.

National Council for Home Safety and Security — Disaster Preparedness Guide

New Hampshire Coastal Risk and Hazard Commission Report and Recommendations

Climate Change in Southern New Hampshire: Past, Present and, Future (2014) UNH Sustainability Institute Report

2017 National Climate Assessment (NCA4) — Climate Science Special Report