Stinson Beach’s three-year collaborative project on options for sea level rise adaptation is winding down. A recently published report plans for a rise in sea levels of 3.3 feet by 2085 and introduces a new framework called an adaptation pathway to help Stinson Beach residents and local agencies take appropriate action to respond.
Those actions include raising roads, bridges, and homes; elevating infrastructure like the Seadrift and Bolinas lagoon bulkheads; building dunes and cobble berms along beaches to create natural buffers; and transitioning to a community wastewater treatment system.
“The adaptation pathway was developed based on stakeholder engagement as well as engineering, environmental, regulatory, social, and economic considerations,” said Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) Assistant Director Chris Choo. “Our planners worked with consulting firm Environmental Science Associates (ESA) to identify and analyze feasible adaptation strategies.”
As part of the report’s release, CDA staff organized a webinar for Stinson Beach stakeholders on June 11 that included a virtual reality (VR) simulation of the area’s expected sea level rise and adaptation measures that could be implemented to make the community more resistant to rising tides. Residents can continue to access the VR simulation by visiting the Stinson Beach Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration (Stinson ARC) website.
CDA plans to present the adaptation pathway during a Board of Supervisors meeting this August. It will serve as the culmination of the Stinson ARC project that began in 2022.
Stinson Beach is West Marin’s most immediately at-risk community, and long-term coastal flooding continues to create complications for local residents, beach visitors, and natural habitats.
Hundreds of homes and other infrastructure are at risk from ocean waves or flooding from Easkoot Creek. Strong winter storms and sea level rise will continue to erode the beach, flood roadways, and impact existing infrastructure, affecting visitation and access to recreational areas. Nearly half of all Stinson properties are exposed to emergent or shallow groundwater, putting septic and underground utilities at flood risk.
Natural threats were clearly demonstrated in January 2023 when Stinson Beach bore the brunt of several atmospheric rivers and storm surges. Some properties sustained thousands of dollars in damage, and the public beach parking lot was closed for three weeks.
Sea level rise adaptation in Stinson Beach will require leadership and active participation at the community level. Marin County has laid the groundwork for adaptation in Stinson Beach but has not allocated additional public funding to protect private infrastructure. However, the report outlines potential funding sources for future adaptation projects.
“Public education efforts about sea level rise and the need for adaptation plans have been a constant mission for us, dating back more than a decade,” said Assistant CDA Director Chris Choo. “We hope that this report will spark productive conversations among the broader public in general and Stinson Beach residents in particular.”
The final report also includes the results of a vulnerability study that CDA and ESA conducted two years ago to show how natural resources, homes, and infrastructure in Stinson Beach would be impacted today and in the future as oceans continue to rise.
It comes one year after a follow-up study examined adaptation options – dunes, wetland restoration, seawalls, levees – and all the tradeoffs. That May 2024 report included a story map to help illustrate the options.
As repeated damage from annual storms has increased over the years, CDA has worked on adaptation scenarios with agencies including the National Park Service, Caltrans District 4, the Stinson Beach County Water District, Marin County Parks, the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District, and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
CDA plans to bring the topic before Board of Supervisors in August; agendas areposted on the County website on Thursday afternoons prior to a scheduled meeting the following Tuesday. Anyone may e-subscribe to receive notifications from CDA staff about the Stinson ARC.
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