Tuluwat, King Tide 8.94’ 2010
The Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project (Project) is a multi-phased regional collaboration funded by the California State Coastal Conservancy. Its purpose is to inform the public and local agencies of the risk that sea level rise poses to the communities and environment on Humboldt Bay and identify adaptation strategies and options to protect critical regional assets. Thus far, the Project has consisted of two Phases:

1. 2010-2013, Phase I: Humboldt Bay Shoreline Inventory, Mapping and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment.

Phase I of the Project was led by Trinity Associates and involved gathering baseline data on shoreline vulnerability.  This phase produced the Humboldt Bay Shoreline Inventory, Mapping, and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment report and addendum, which describes current shoreline conditions and identifies shoreline segments vulnerable under current conditions to breaching or overtopping. It also identifies land uses and infrastructure potentially at risk from tidal inundation (Laird and Powell 2013).

2. 2013-2015, Phase II: Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Inundation Vulnerability Modeling, Mapping and Adaptation Planning

Phase II of the Project is sponsored by the Coastal Ecosystems Institute of Northern California, and includes three components: (1) preparation of Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Hydrodynamic Modeling and Inundation Vulnerability Maps prepared by Northern Hydrology and Engineering (NHE 2014); (2) formation of a Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Working Group (APWG), convened by Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District and Humboldt County Public Works Department as co-lead agencies; and (3) preparation of the Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan by Trinity Associates.
The Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan explores the: how, where, when, what, and who of sea level rise and adaptation planning on Humboldt Bay.  The report also presents in-depth adaptation planning case studies for two critical regional assets that are at risk from sea level rise: agricultural lands and uses and the Highway 101 corridor.
The APWG is now composed of 22 regional stakeholders with land use, land management, resources management responsibilities, or management advisory roles on lands adjacent to Humboldt Bay that are vulnerable to sea level rise impacts:

• Bureau of Land Management
• California Coastal Conservancy
• California Coastal Commission, North Coast District
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• California Department of Transportation,  District 1
• California Sea Grant Extension
• City of Arcata: Planning, Public Works, and Environmental Services Departments
• City of Eureka: Planning and Public Works Departments
• Coastal Ecosystem Institute of Northern California
• Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District
• Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• Humboldt County Farm Bureau
• Humboldt County: Public Works and Planning and Building Departments
• Humboldt County Resources Conservation District
• National Resources Conservation Service
• Northcoast Regional Land Trust
• Northern Hydrology and Engineering
• Pacific Gas & Electric
• Trinity Associates
• U.C. Agricultural Extension: Humboldt County
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Wiyot Tribe

Adaptation Planning Working Group: 2015 Meeting Schedule

• April 29 ^th
• June 24 ^th
• August 26 ^th
• October 28 ^th
• December 30 ^th

Download Project Documents, and GIS Databases:

• Phase I:
  • Humboldt Bay Shoreline Inventory, Mapping and Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment Report and Addendum.
  • Shoreline Structure GIS Database
  • Shoreline MMMW GIS Database
• Phase II:
  • Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Hydrodynamic Modeling and Inundation Vulnerability Mapping
    • Final Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Conceptual Groundwater Model
    • Final Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Modeling Inundation Mapping Report
    • Final Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Project DEM Development Report
    • Description of GIS Database and Google Earth Data
    • GIS Database
    • Google Earth Data
  • Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project Phase II Report
  • Sea Level Rise to Outpace Rising Waters Building Resilient Infrastructure - Seemann

Download Adaptation Planning Working Group Meeting Presentations

APWG Agenda 02-27-2013
APWG Agenda 04-24-2013
APWG Agenda 07-16-2013 
APWG Agenda 08-28-2013
APWG Agenda 10-30-2013
APWG Public Meeting 11-12-2013
APWG Agenda 02-26-2014
APWG Agenda 04-30-2014
APWG Agenda 06-25-2014 
APWG Agenda 08-27-2014
APWG Agenda 10-29-2014
APWG Public Meeting 11-17-2014
APWG Agenda 01-07-2015
APWG Agenda 04-29-2015

CONTACTS

Aldaron Laird
Adaptation Planner
Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project
Trinity Associates
hbslrplanner@gmail.com
707.845.6877

Jeff Anderson
Northern Hydrology & Engineering
jeff@northernhydrology.com
707.839.2195

Adam Wagschal
Deputy Director
Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District
awagschal@humboldtbay.org
707.443.0801 x113

Hank Seemann
Deputy Director
Environmental Services, Humboldt County Public Works
hseemann@co.humboldt.ca.us
707.445.7741

Jill Demers
Coastal Ecosystems Institute of Northern California
jill@coastalecosystemsinstitute.org
707.667.6163

Joel Gerwein
Project Manager
State Coastal Conservancy
Joel.Gerwein@scc.ga.gov
510.286.4170