Partner Institution: Northeastern University

Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Modeling of Canal Backfilling Restoration at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Project Description: The goal of this research project is to provide Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JELA) managers with robust process-linked projections of water quality outcomes of canal filling (CB) across the Barataria Preserve landscape, under both current and future conditions.

Objectives include 1) develop an innovative, high spatial resolution, process-driven coupled hydrodynamic and water quality modeling system for JELA’s entire Barataria Preserve; 2) assess and predict outcomes of this federally funded CB restoration project on key JELA water quality attributes; 3) run this modeling system under a suite of well-rounded climate change (especially relative SLR and future storms) scenario conditions.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Jim Chen, Northeastern University

Partner Institution: Northeastern University

Federal Agency: U.S. Geological Survey

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Faith Graves

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Engineering, Design, & Sustainability, Water (FW & Marine)

Start Year: 2022

End Year: 2024

Initial Funding Amount: $52,946.00

Federal Grant Number: G22AC00079-00

Location: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Updating USACE’s Nearshore Coastal Numerical Model, CSHORE, to Calculate Benefits of Vegetated Shorelines

Project Description: The overall goal is to develop a methodology to evaluate the benefit of vegetated shorelines using numerical modeling in conjunction with available laboratory and field studies. To date, CSHORE has been validated for wave attenuation and setup on vegetated shorelines. The specific objectives of this project are: (1) to improve and validate CSHORE for modeling wave runup and storm surge on vegetated shoreline based on existing observational data; (2) to incorporate flexible vegetation into CSHORE for representative vegetated shorelines; (3) to determine the capacity of vegetated shorelines to reduce low-intensity coastal storm damages; 4) to determine the threshold coastal storm parameters for which vegetated shorelines are ineffective; 5) to determine the conditions under which vegetated shores are damaged and will not naturally recover; 6) to determine the capacity of vegetated shorelines to keep pace with rising sea level, and the rate of relative sea level change at which they are not able to cope; 7) to compare the differences in risk reduction between vegetated shoreline and traditional armoring, such as revetments; and 8) to apply this knowledge to develop fragility, damage, and recovery profiles for vegetated shorelines.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Jim Chen, Northeastern University

Partner Institution: Northeastern University

Federal Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Jeri McGuffie

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E), Engineering, Design, & Sustainability, Water (FW & Marine)

Start Year: 2018

End Year: 2021

Initial Funding Amount: $80,000.00

Federal Grant Number: W912HZ-18-2-0007

National Register of Historic Places Documentation, Longfellow House- Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site

Project Description: Northeastern University aims to inventory, evaluate, and document the resources of the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge, Massachusetts in accordance with the criteria developed by the National Register of Historic Places. The updated documentation will confirm that the site’s dates of historic significance should extend well beyond the current registry end date of 1899 and should instead be extended to 1928.

Today, Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters is a premier example of Georgian architecture. With its preserved view of the Charles River, it is considered the best remaining “Tory Row” mansion on Brattle Street in Cambridge. Filled with furniture, artworks, books, ceramics, and an extensive archive, the house reflects the Longfellow family’s wide-ranging interests and pursuits.

NPS and Northeastern will work together to develop National Register documentation, which should distinguish between contributing and non-contributing resources in the district as part of this new documentation. The National Register boundary should be distinguished as well. Northeastern and NPS specialist will collaborate closely to complete this essential documentation for the park and to provide opportunities for graduate students in public history to contribute to the study and stewardship of NPS resources.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Victoria Cain, Northeastern University

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Martin Blatt, Northeastern University

Partner Institution: Northeastern University

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Bethany Serafine

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2016

End Year: 2018

Initial Funding Amount: $58,750.00

Federal Grant Number: P16AC01488

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 0001, Year: 2018, Amount: $0.00
  • Amendment Number: 0002, Year: 2018, Amount: $0.00

Location: Longfellow House- Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site

State(s): Massachusetts