Sea Level Rise Strategies

Town of St. Michaels

The Town of St. Michaels is a small coastal town in Talbot County, Maryland with a population of approximately 1,000 people. Tourism and commercial fishing remain two of the town’s primary economic drivers. Flooding and future sea level rise concerns led to an infrastructure study that identified viable, cost-efficient strategies to increase the town’s resiliency. Consideration was given to both rainfall and tidal induced flooding as mitigation and resiliency strategies were identified. 

RAUCH, inc. is working on behalf of the Town of St. Michaels to implement those strategies. Our scope of work includes evaluating the use of tide gates versus culverts, installating nature-based solutions, and providing surveying and pre-design services for the reconstruction of low-lying streets. We have completed rehabilitation work on some of the most impacted streets and addressed stormwater issues by improving failing subgrade.

In May 2022, we completed stormwater modeling for the Mill Street Culvert. In 2023, we completed surveying of the Mill Street area and a Mill Street Civil Engineering Feasibility Study for raising the road to 5 feet over Mean Sea Level MSL.

During the course of our work, our team of professionals carefully evaluates impacts to neighboring property owners and opportunities to work with them. The properties of primary focus for these projects have included the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum complex, the existing Town Office, waterfront restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and nearby residential properties.