Published Date:
San Francisco Bay Sea Level Rise Study Included in Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA)
For the first time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will study impacts of sea level rise on the entire region with focus on economically disadvantaged communities, vulnerable infrastructure, and nature-based strategies.
Oakland, CA – Today, the State Coastal Conservancy, Save The Bay, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the Bay Area Council, the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, the Bay Planning Coalition, the Bay Area Regional Collaborative (BARC), San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District (also known as OneShoreline), and the California Natural Resources Agency announce that the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), signed January 4 by President Biden, now includes a section instructing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to conduct a study of measures to adapt to rising sea levels in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The study, which is anticipated to begin in 2026, assuming funding, builds on and expands USACE’s existing authority to address the impacts and adaptation to sea level rise and climate change in the 9-county Bay Area’s ocean and bay shorelines. In addition to investigating measures to adapt to rising sea levels, the USACE study will consider the needs of economically disadvantaged communities and the existing vulnerable infrastructure of these areas, and the use of natural features and beneficial use of dredged sediment in the solutions. WRDA also directs USACE to look at the effects of proposed flood or shoreline protection, coastal storm risk reduction, environmental infrastructure and other measures on the local economy, recreation, aquatic ecosystem restoration, public infrastructure protection, and stormwater runoff capacity, as well as the erosion of beaches and coasts.
“The San Francisco Bay Area is no stranger to the harmful effects of climate change, including extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and rising sea level,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18). “Thanks to the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), which I supported and voted in favor of, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be able to partner with local agencies to study how to mitigate sea level rise and curb its effects on nearby communities. I remain committed to advancing efforts that improve resiliency, expand our water supply, and protect our environment.”
“Bay Area leaders have worked hard to understand the impacts of sea level rise to this region,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “We know that climate change has worsened flooding and storm surge risks, with real threats to local communities. Now, thanks to this federal action, experts at the Army Corps of Engineering will help us better understand these risks and how we can best prepare and protect local residents. This is a big step forward that will help the Bay Area continue to thrive into the future.”
Regional funding through Measure AA, State of California funding through the 2024 Climate Bond, and stakeholder contributions will leverage federal funding through USACE for the regional study and future projects.
The San Francisco Bay Area stands to be one of the hardest-hit regions in the nation from rising sea level, with over 8 million residents, 9 counties, 101 cities, and vital infrastructure, communities, ecosystems, and businesses — all clustered around a single bay. The impacts to communities along San Francisco’s 400-mile shoreline are expected to land disproportionately on socially vulnerable populations, which are the most at risk and least able to recover from flooding. With the projected sea level rise under state guidance of +0.8 feet by 2050, the Bay Area must prepare now to effectively manage the risks to human health and safety and the estimated hundreds of billions of dollars in losses to property and infrastructure. Specific assets at near-term risk include airports, ports, wastewater treatment plants, major highways and roadways, public transit and thousands of homes in low and moderate-income communities.
“The inclusion of this language in WRDA really lets the Army Corps think on the landscape scale about sea level rise resilience for the region and opens the doors for flood and conservation agencies working in the Bay to partner with USACE across a number of projects,” said Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the State Coastal Conservancy. “The Corps brings the expertise and resources needed to tackle some of the region’s largest and most challenging restoration and flood protection projects. We see them as an essential long-term partner to meeting our resilience goals and I’m excited to see the project opportunities this study will lead to.”
“The Water Resources Development Act recently signed into law by President Biden allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a comprehensive sea level rise analysis for the entire Bay Area shoreline, a critical step to defending the region’s residents and innovation economy for the next century and beyond,” said Jim Wunderman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bay Area Council. “Special thanks to Congressman Khanna, Congressman Garamendi, Congressman Huffman, Congresswoman Lofgren, and Congressman Mullin for delivering this win for the entire region.”
“San Francisco Bay is home to some of the most vibrant and vital wildlife habitat on the West Coast, all within a dense urban population,” said Rebecca Schwartz Lesberg, Chair of the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture’s Management Board. “This study will help us better understand how habitat restoration and nature-based solutions can increase resilience to sea level rise for people and nature.”
“Sea level rise flooding is a regional challenge because floodwaters don’t stop at city borders,” said David Lewis, Executive Director of Save The Bay. “The Army Corps’ new study will identify regional opportunities to invest in impactful nature-based resilience projects like additional tidal marsh restoration. Building these projects now is critical to ensuring a healthy Bay shoreline that protects our communities from rising tides.”
“I am ecstatic that the Congress and President Biden are supporting a federal study on the impacts of rising sea levels on the San Francisco Bay,” said Larry Goldzband, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. “Protecting our vulnerable communities and natural habitat in the Bay from rising sea levels is going to cost an estimated $110 billion by 2050. We cannot achieve that without federal partnership.”
“This study will build upon existing science, prioritizing the Bay’s economically disadvantaged and climate-vulnerable communities to identify where the impacts of sea level rise will hit the hardest. We are excited to collaborate with the Army Corps to protect these areas while maximizing the use of nature-based solutions to support the Bay’s wildlife habitats,” said Allison Brooks, Executive Director, Bay Area Regional Collaborative (BARC).
“The task of planning and building long-term climate resilience along the Bay shoreline will largely fall to local governments, and having the federal government as a partner through that process will be extremely helpful,” said Len Materman, Chief Executive Officer of the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District. “We look forward to working with USACE and the other eight counties along the Bay to align protection to the inter-related threats of sea level rise and extreme storms.”
