Cambridge is preparing for a major transformation along its Choptank River waterfront as the Eastern Shore city works to protect itself from increasingly frequent flooding.
About 20% of Cambridge properties are already considered at risk of flooding, a figure projected to rise to one-third within 30 years, largely because of climate change.
The proposed Make Cambridge Resilient project would build a flood wall along 1.6 miles of shoreline, standing three to four feet above ground level. The plan also includes an engineered marsh and new wetlands designed to absorb excess water.
Mike Sieracki, director of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, said the region faces an added challenge because the land itself is sinking. “It’ll be a great model,” Sieracki said, adding that Cambridge could become “a showcase for how to do projects like this to the nation and the world.”
The proposal has received generally favorable reactions, although some waterfront residents worry about losing their views. Mark Gordon Potter, whose home overlooks the river, said he accepts that tradeoff. “I care more about the welfare of the city than my view,” Potter said.
The project also faces practical obstacles. The town needs agreements from 15 waterfront property owners before construction permits can be filed, while opposition has already forced changes to keep the project within town limits.
Meanwhile, estimated costs have risen from an initial $16 million to $27 million . Federal funding is expected to cover much of the work, specifically via The Federal Emergency Management Agency, but Cambridge is seeking additional money and may have to build the project in phases.
Construction is scheduled to begin next summer, with completion targeted for July 2029.
