Bay Area Developments at Risk From Sea Level Rise

Although sea levels could rise by at least a foot in the next decade, reports Ezra David Romero, a developer is planning to go ahead with a controversial housing development on the shores of San Francisco Bay.

The project, which would build 469 badly needed housing units in Newark, would be located in a federal flood zone just outside the jurisdiction of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Despite the developer's plan to "drive in around 100,000 truckloads of dirt to raise the homes above potential stormwaters" and "line the banks with rocks to protect houses from waves," environmental groups say the measures aren't enough to mitigate anticipated damage.

In addition to the threat posed to the homes themselves, environmentalists argue that building the project would destroy local wetlands that serve as crucial natural flood protection. Thanks to urban development, only 10 percent of marshland in San Francisco Bay remains today. While the city has acknowledged the risk, it is also looking to the county and regional authorities to implement 'area-wide' mitigation projects.

Experts recommend clearer state and regional guidelines for approaching developments in coastal areas. "BCDC’s new regional sea level rise adaptation plan, Bay Adapt, includes a potential fix and is a road map for agencies and cities to create new policies to interpret the effects of climate change better."