Stinson Beach Sea-level Rise Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration

Nestled between Bolinas Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean, Stinson Beach is a popular beach community with about 500 residents and over 750,000 annual visitors. The community is currently at risk to impacts from elevated groundwater levels, inundation during high tides, coastal erosion and storm flooding impacts. The resulting sea-level rise adaptation roadmap report will provide information and guidance to the community regarding potential options in the near term to long term that could improve the community’s resilience to coastal hazards.

ESA is currently working with the CDA on the Stinson Beach Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration (ARC) to develop a collaborative sea-level rise adaptation plan for the community. The outcome of the ARC will be a long-term, implementable Adaptation Roadmap that addresses built and natural infrastructure (such as homes, important facilities, roads, utilities, beaches and wetlands).

ESA previously led an assessment of the potential for nature-based solutions to address sea-level rise vulnerabilities along the beach side of the community, which included sand dunes and buried cobble berms. The study demonstrated that sand dunes with buried cobble berms are feasible near term adaptation measures that provide protective services along with increasing the resilience of a popular beach with ecological and recreational value. ESA’s coastal engineers led the development and analysis of alternatives in terms of design life costs, coastal habitat benefits, potential environmental impacts, regulatory considerations, storm/SLR protection levels (erosion, wave run-up), and public access.