San Leandro Bay/Oakland-
Alameda Estuary
Adaptation Working Group
July 2023
Background: Sea Level Rise
2/3 of California’s
sea level rise
impacts will be felt
in the Bay Area
•Already seen:
+8 inches SLR
•Projected by 2050:
+12 to 32 inches
•End of century:
10+ feet?
36” SLR + 100-year storm surge
Source: Adapting to Rising Tides Bay
Shoreline Flood Explorer
Background: Groundwater Rise
• Infiltration & corrosion of
underground infrastructure
• Damage to roads and
structures
• Flooding from multiple
sources including emergent
groundwater
• Contaminated sites
• Increased liquefaction risk
Source: SFEI Shallow groundwater response to sea-level rise
Background: Liquefaction
•Areas most at risk of
liquefaction are same
areas at risk of rising
groundwater
•Rising groundwater may
increase risk of
liquefaction
Shaking Hazard Map for Northwestern Alameda County
Source: USGS Open-file Report 02-296
Background: Vulnerable Communities
Background: Regional Problem & Solutions
•Flooding knows no boundaries
•Communities: Most impacted and
fewest resources
•Patchwork of actions
•Inconsistent science
•Competition not collaboration for
funding
•Loss of wetlands
•Difficult to measure collective progress
Source: BCDC Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding and
Investment Framework
7 Working Group coordinates San
Leandro Bay/Oakland-Alameda
Estuary flood and adaptation projects
to protect and restore water quality,
habitat, recreation and community
resilience.
San Leandro operational landscape unit
(one of 30 OLUs in Bay Area)
Working Group: Objectives
•Prepare for flooding, sea level and
groundwater rise
•Prioritize habitat, nature-based solutions and
green infrastructure
•Consider sediment management
•Improve recreational access and air quality
•Provide benefit to residents and vulnerable
communities
•Contribute to economic opportunities
•Advocate for training and skill development
for underserved communities
•Serve as example on sub-regional adaptation
Working Group:
Focus Areas
• West Oakland – wave exposed with
seawalls, quays and subtidal habitat
• Oakland-Alameda Estuary – highly
urbanized dominated by seawalls
• San Leandro Bay – small embayment
protected from wave action, patches
of marsh habitat and wide mudflats
• Alameda Bayshore – wave-exposed
with beaches
• Bay Farm Island & Oyster Bay – high
wave action surrounded by deep
subtidal habitat
Working Group: Organizational Structure
San Leandro Bay Bay Farm Island &
Oyster Bay
Oakland-Alameda
Estuary
Alameda
Bayshore
Steering
Committee
Working Group
City of Alameda
• in-kind staff support
• fiscal lead
West Oakland
Working Group: Steering Committee
• Caltrans
• City of Alameda
• City of Oakland
• Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda
• East Bay Regional Park District
• Greenbelt Alliance
• Hood Planner/East Oakland Neighborhood Initiative
• Port of Oakland/Oakland International Airport
• San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board • Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
• West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
Working Group: Activities To Date
•Met quarterly since 2021
(with 27-47 participants)
•Formed steering committee
and San Leandro Bay group
•Adopted charter and
objectives
•Participated in fieldtrips:
MLK Jr. park and airport
•Created logo by Alameda
High School students
Working Group: Funded Projects (2023-2025)
Project Description Funding Area
1. Long-term Adaptation Plan – Webpage:
www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationLongTermPlan
(Terminates: October 31, 2025)
$300,000 SFEP
$540,000 NFWF
= $840,000 (federal)
Entire operational
landscape unit (Bay
Bridge to Oyster
Bay in San Leandro)
2a. Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project –
Webpage:
www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationEstuary
(Terminates: February 28, 2025)
$425,000 Caltrans
$75,000 Alameda
= $500,000 (state)
Oakland-Alameda
Estuary
3. Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project – Webpage:
www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationBayFarmIsland
(Terminates: September 29, 2025)
$1.5 million FEMA
$530,000 Alameda
= $2,030,000 (federal)
Bay Farm Island &
Oyster Bay
Total Funding $3.37 million
Long-term Adaptation Plan
•Purpose: Identify actions needed over
time as the shoreline changes to protect
communities
•Tasks:
• Agency coordination
• Sub-regional agencies
• BCDC’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan
• Governance structure analysis and
community engagement
• Draft and final long-term plan
•Budget: $840,000 ($300,000 SFEP &
$540,000 NFWF)
Oakland-Alameda Estuary Adaptation Project
• Purpose: Develop adaptation
design concept to protect Jack
London District/Oakland
Chinatown and Alameda’s
northern shoreline/Posey-
Webster Tubes
• Tasks:
• Structural/nature-based
alternatives
• Public outreach
• Draft and final concept (10%
design) with cost estimates
• Budget: $500,000 ($425,000
Caltrans & $75,000 Alameda)
Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project
•Purpose: Develop long-term plan for
entire Bay Farm Island and designs
for short-term fixes at northern
waterfront low spots.
•Tasks:
• Feasibility alternatives and design
• Public outreach
• Northern waterfront design
• Coordinate with permitting agencies
• Draft and final long-term concept
•Budget: $2 million ($1.5 million
FEMA & $530,000 Alameda)
Community Partners
•Role: Lead community engagement process for
three funded adaptation projects
•Budget: $323,000
•Selected by Steering Committee:
• Greenbelt Alliance (with REAP Climate Center, Hood
Planning Group, Ninth Root, Sogorea Té Land Trust)
• Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA)
Consultants
•Role: Lead technical analysis for three funded
adaptation projects
•Budget: $2,767,000
•Selected by Steering Committee:
• CMG Landscape Architecture (prime)
• Pathways Climate Institute
• Moffatt & Nichol
• ESA
• Schaaf & Wheeler
• Earth Mechanics, Inc.
• NHA Advisors
Next Steps
•Enter into contracts with
Community Partners
•Enter into contract with SFEI as
Scientific Advisor
•City Council request approval of
Consultant: Sept 2023
•Project kick-off: late 2023
Learn more: www.alamedaca.gov/AdaptationWorkingGroup