Sea Level Rise

According to the latest projections, sea level in the Humboldt Bay area will rise 1 foot by 2030, 2 feet by 2050, and 3 feet by 2060. The primary impacts from sea level rise are increases in flooding and erosion. Sea level rise will expand the area vulnerable to flooding during major storms, as well as in the rare but catastrophic event of a major tsunami.

The term 100-year flood is used as a standard for planning, insurance, and environmental analysis. People, infrastructure, and property are already located in areas vulnerable to flooding from a 100-year event. Sea level rise will cause more frequent—and more damaging—floods to those already at risk and will increase the size of the coastal floodplain, placing new areas at risk to flooding.

Forecast: Rising Tides on Humboldt Bay: Tues. Nov. 12

The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District and Humboldt County Public Works Department invite the public to an informational meeting on planning for the potential effects of sea level rise around Humboldt Bay. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, room 203, 921 Waterfront Drive, Eureka.

This meeting provides an opportunity for the public to learn about the sea level rise project and ask questions of the sea level rise adaptation planning team.

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment of Contaminated Sites

How we will prepare for rising sea levels is just beginning to take shape here in the Humboldt Bay region. Humboldt Baykeeper has assessed sea level rise vulnerability for contaminated sites near Humboldt Bay. More than 300 contaminated sites are within 10 meters of current sea level, including more than 40 that are below 2 meters – the amount sea level is projected to rise by the year 2100.

Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project

Phase I: Shoreline Inventory, Mapping, and Vulnerability Assessment

A report to the State Coastal Conservancy by Aldaron Laird, Brian Powell, and Jeff Anderson.

Click below to download the report:

Humboldt Bay Shoreline Inventory, Mapping and SLR Vulnerability Assessment (PDF, 45 MB)

Addendum: Dike and Railroad Shoreline Vulnerability Rating

San Francisco: a Test Case for Coping with Rising Seas

2/1/13

Parts of New York and New Jersey are still reeling from Superstorm Sandy, an event that brought climate change and the threat of sea-level rise front-and-center. It's a looming problem for all coastal cities, and one that San Francisco has been pondering since long before Sandy struck. Along San Francisco’s western shore, the Ocean Beach Master Plan is a kind of test case for sea-rise planning. It calls for big changes, including a strategy known as managed retreat.