A New Plan for Sea Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay has 400 miles of shoreline, and a dire need for a new approach to dealing with the effects of rising water levels. An estimated $100 billion in potential property damage is at risk.

1 minute read

May 5, 2019, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Bay Area Wetlands

Andrei Stanescu / Shutterstock

"A blueprint outlining how San Francisco Bay communities should combat sea-level rise was released early Thursday by ecosystem scientists and urban planners who envision a ring of man-made reefs, rocky beaches and graded marshlands around the largest estuary on the Pacific coast," reports Peter Fimrite.

The San Francisco Estuary Institute and SPUR created the San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas [pdf], proposing major changes to existing seawalls, rip rap, culverts and other fortifications that are unlikely to weather the impacts of rising seas.

"The idea […] is to build eco-friendly features that support wildlife and absorb, rather than repel, the rising tides," explains Fimrite.

"The plan, funded by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, is the first attempt in the Bay Area to develop a collaborative regional plan to both enhance the ecosystem and protect cities around the bay from the potential ravages of climate change."

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