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Glossary


Berm/Levee icon

Berm/Levee

A hill created to protect or separate two areas. A berm can be landscaped with grasses or other plantings.

Berm/Levee icon

Bulkhead

A retaining wall used to hold backfill while providing protection against light to moderate wave action. They are often used for marinas, ports, and other waterfronts where deep water is needed directly at the shore.

Deployables icon

Deployables

Temporary structures that are erected in the path of floodwaters to prevent water from flooding specific areas. Deployables are often used in locations where space is limited or where access must otherwise remain available; for example: at pedestrian and vehicular crossings.

Floodplain icon

Floodplain

The area near a stream, river or coastline that may flood. The 100-year floodplain represents the area on a map that has a 1 percent or more chance of flooding in any given year.

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Floodwall

A wall built to prevent or reduce flooding by high water during a storm event. Floodwalls are made of materials such as concrete or masonry. They can vary in height, color and texture.

Recreational Amenities icon

Recreational Amenities

Indoor and outdoor sporting and leisure facilities, children's play areas and open space. For example: soccer field, playground, basketball court.

Resilient Infrastructure icon

Resilient Infrastructure

Infrastructure (e.g. floodwalls and berms) designed to withstand, adapt to, and recover from extreme weather events. In the context of the ESCR Project, a resilient infrastructure system will reduce the risk of coastal flooding and provide social and environmental benefits to the community through public improvements.

Topography icon

Topography

The shape, height and depth of the surface features of a particular site - i.e., the lay of the land. Topography can refer to any natural or man-made surface feature of a particular site, for example: the slope of a hill.