September 26, 2023
City Council
DATE: September 26, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember Claudia Jimenez
Subject:
North Richmond Living Levee Project Presentation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The purpose of the presentation is to learn about the role of the North Richmond Living Levee Project in
addressing sea level rise in North Richmond and cross-
jurisdiction opportunities to collaborate on sea level rise solutions.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation from the North Richmond
Shoreline working group on the North Richmond Living
Levee Project (Councilmember Jimenez (620-6565).
DISCUSSION:
The project builds on a long and important legacy of environmental justice advocacy in North Richmond. Previous work by Watershed Project, San Francisco Estuary Partnership and others identified the need for nature-based adaptation to Sea Level AGENDA
REPORT
September 26, 2023
Rise (SLR). For the current project, the Watershed Project established a working group of more than 20 community members who were compensated for their time and effort to participate in a shoulder-to-shoulder, co-design process with the project team, which led to the current design concepts.
The project proposes nature-based adaptation to sea level rise (SLR), with a focus on multiple benefits for coastal flooding mitigation, habitat enhancement, and improved coastal access for North Richmond, a vulnerable community that has endured generations of environmental and racist injustice. Some of the critical SLR vulnerabilities along the shoreline include loss of important marsh habitats, overtop flooding of the Richmond Parkway, loss of Bay trail access and flooding of critical infrastructure that serve North Richmond, city of Richmond and other communities in West Contra Costa County.
The North Richmond Collaborative Shoreline Plan requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders with land and jurisdictional responsibilities along the shoreline. This includes the WCWD, EBRPD, City of Richmond, Contra Costa County, Flood Control District, Republic Services, Chevron, and other smaller private owners. The success of the project rest on a shared vision and commitment to collaborate in a long-term plan for the North Richmond Shoreline. This collaboration will ensure a multi-benefit approach and cost-share solution to the risk of sea level rise and will provide the community with access to a forgotten shoreline.
The North Richmond Shoreline Living Levee Working Group includes:
Supervisor John Gioia
West County Wastewater District, Andrew Clough
Bay Area Regional Collaborative, Josh Bradt
Mithun, Tim Mollette-Parks
The Watershed Project, Juliana Gonzalez
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Presentation