San Francisco Bay Shore Inventory Mapping for Sea Level Rise Planning

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 5th, 2016

With rising sea levels and the increased likelihood of extreme weather events, it is important for regional agencies and local municipalities in the San Francisco Bay Are

With rising sea levels and the increased likelihood of extreme weather events, it is important for regional agencies and local municipalities in the San Francisco Bay Area to have a clear understanding of the status, composition, condition, and elevation of our current Bay shore, including both natural features and built infrastructure. The purpose of this Bay shore inventory is to create a comprehensive and consistent picture of today’s Bay shore features to inform regional planning. This dataset includes both structures engineered expressly for flood risk management (such as accredited levees) and features that affect flooding at the shore but are not designed or maintained for this purpose (such as berms, road embankments, and marshes). This mapping covers as much of the ‘real world’ influence on flooding and flood routing as possible, including the large number of non-accredited structures. This information is needed to: 1. identify areas vulnerable to flooding; 2. identify adaptation constraints due to present Bay shore alignments; and 3. suggest opportunities where beaches, wetlands, and floodplains can be maintained or restored and integrated into flood risk management strategies.

Sea Level Rise in California

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | February 29th, 2024

Sniffing the Delta for Greenhouse Gases

San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) | June 16th, 2022

Global food production contributes an estimated 21% to 37% of the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, including huge releases of carbon when vast aquatic ecosys

Global food production contributes an estimated 21% to 37% of the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, including huge releases of carbon when vast aquatic ecosystems like the Delta are transformed for agriculture. [Dennis] Baldocchi and colleagues are now trying to figure out if bringing back tidal wetlands like the one at Dutch Slough can help reverse these processes.

Socio-economic and ecological trade-offs of flood management

European Geosciences Union (EGU) | February 20th, 2019

In light of climate change and growing numbers of people inhabiting riverine floodplains, worldwide demand for flood protection is increasing, typically through engineeri

In light of climate change and growing numbers of people inhabiting riverine floodplains, worldwide demand for flood protection is increasing, typically through engineering approaches such as more and bigger levees. However, the well-documented “levee effect” of increased floodplain use following levee construction or enhancement often results in increased problems, especially when levees fail or are compromised by big flood events. Herein, we argue that there are also unintended socio-economic and ecological consequences of traditional engineering solutions that need to be better considered, communicated and weighed against alternative solutions. Socio-economic consequences include reduced aesthetic and recreational values as well as increased downstream flooding risk and reduced ecosystem services. Ecological consequences include hydraulic decoupling, loss of biodiversity and increased risk of contamination during flooding. In addition, beyond river losses of connectivity and natural riparian vegetation created by levees, changes in groundwater levels and increased greenhouse gas emissions are likely. Because flood protection requires huge financial investments and results in major and persistent changes to the landscape, more balanced decisions that involve all stakeholders and policymakers should be made in the future. This requires a transdisciplinary approach that considers alternative solutions such as green infrastructure and places emphasis on integrated flood management rather than on reliance on technical protection measures.

State Investments in Delta Levees

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | January 1st, 2015

This 43-page Issue Paper, authored by Dustin Jones, the Council's Integrated Regional Water Management Supervising Engineer, is entitled State Investments in Delta Levees

This 43-page Issue Paper, authored by Dustin Jones, the Council's Integrated Regional Water Management Supervising Engineer, is entitled State Investments in Delta Levees, Key Issues for Updating Priorities. The Delta Reform Act requires that the Delta Plan promote strategic levee investments that attempt to reduce risks to people, property, and state interests in the Delta (Water Code section 85305) and recommend priorities for state investment in levee operation, maintenance, and improvements in the Delta (Water Code section 85306). In addition, the Delta Plan may identify actions to be taken outside of the Delta, if those actions are determined to significantly reduce flood risks in the Delta and may include local plans of flood protection (Water Code section 85307(a-b)). This paper outlines 15 issues that will need to be considered as the Council updates the Delta Plan’s provisions regarding State investment in the Delta’s levees. It summarizes background information about these issues, provides references for further information, and highlights key points to be addressed through the development of the Delta Levees Investment Strategy.

State Investments in Delta Levees: Key Issues For Updating Priorities

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | January 9th, 2015

This paper outlines 15 issues that will need to be considered as the Council updates the Delta Plan’s 36 provisions regarding State investment in the Delta’s levees.

This paper outlines 15 issues that will need to be considered as the Council updates the Delta Plan’s 36 provisions regarding State investment in the Delta’s levees. It summarizes background information 37 about these issues, provides references for further information, and highlights key points that will need 38 to be addressed over the coming months.

State of California Emergency Flood Fighting Methods

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | August 1st, 2018

The ‘Flood Fighting Methods’ outlined in this booklet have proven effective during many years of use by DWR, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and local agencies

The ‘Flood Fighting Methods’ outlined in this booklet have proven effective during many years of use by DWR, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and local agencies on flood-related emergencies. This handbook is published by the DWR Flood Operations Branch and is designed to be used with the Flood Fighting Methods class.

State of the Estuary 2019 Update

San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) | October 22nd, 2019

The San Francisco Estuary is a large and diverse system. Hundreds of miles of coastline stretch from the wide valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the stee

The San Francisco Estuary is a large and diverse system. Hundreds of miles of coastline stretch from the wide valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the steep headlands of the Golden Gate, with vast agricultural fields in the Delta and urbanized shorelines in Silicon Valley and many of the region’s cities. The complexity and scale of this system means it can take years to detect and assess changes. This interim State of the Estuary Report checks in on a few indicators of health and explores where the assessment should head over time. In the four years since the 2015 State of the Estuary Report, two issues have emerged as critical to how we assess the health of the estuarine ecosystem at the heart of the Bay Area and the Delta. First, the health of the Estuary and of the people who live near it and depend on it are inextricably linked. We need a healthy Bay and Delta to protect our shorelines from sea level rise, help keep our waters clean, provide food and habitat for fish and wildlife, and give people a place to enjoy nature. We also need to think more about human communities as we assess the health of natural communities. This focus means addressing environmental injustices that are deeply embedded in our culture and patterns of development. The second critical issue to emerge is the need for a greater focus on landscape resilience—how well the Bay and the Delta are equipped to respond to change—so that people and wildlife can thrive as climate change progresses. Taking these two ideas together, this report focuses on the nexus of social and ecological resilience as we look toward the future. The first section of the Report updates indicators of ecological health that span the entire extent of the San Francisco Estuary (Bay and Delta). Recent data show continued progress along the trajectories of the past decade. Tidal marsh restoration is proceeding at a brisk pace in the Bay and gaining traction in the Delta, while urban water conservation continues to meet mandated benchmarks, even during the drought. On the other hand, flows through the Estuary and across its floodplains continue to be well below levels that could increase and restore ecosystem health. Freshwater flows are a lynchpin of ecosystem processes that sustain physical habitats, fuel the food web, and regulate water quality. Creative approaches to using and re-using fresh water for environmental purposes are needed. Long-term trend analysis shows that fish communities in the Bay are declining. This analysis scores an index of 10 attributes of a healthy fish community. The index focuses on fish in offshore areas, and may not capture benefits to fish from near-shore wetland restoration projects. Despite this slow decline, fish communities in the saltier parts of the Estuary remain in good condition, while those in the brackish and freshwater areas are in poor condition. The next section of the report discusses three emerging indicators of Estuary health, offering options for how to assess resilience in future reports. Here, for the first time, the resilience of the Estuary’s shores is evaluated through the lens of subsidence and nature-based features. Elevation relative to sea level is a basic currency that must be tracked as the Pacific Ocean rises into the Estuary. The potential for the Estuary shore to be resilient to climate change and continue to provide benefits to people is related to how much of the shore zone is nature-based. The final emerging indicator, urban green space, is a first attempt to assess how access to nature is distributed across more and less advantaged communities. More work is needed to finalize all these emerging indicators before they can be included in any future quantitative assessment of the State of the Estuary. These emerging and updated indicators will help focus efforts to restore the Estuary’s health. In addition to continuing the successful aspects of restoration and conservation that this report describes, we need more investment in creative ways to use and restore flows for environmental health, to expand and build resilient shorelines and to weave considerations of social equity more strongly into efforts to improve environmental health. - J. Letitia Grenier, Lead Scientist

State Plan of Flood Control Descriptive Document 2016 Update

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 14th, 2016

The November 2016 State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) Descriptive Document Update (2016 Update) is intended to serve as a reference for flood management planners and opera

The November 2016 State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) Descriptive Document Update (2016 Update) is intended to serve as a reference for flood management planners and operators at the local, State, and federal levels. It is not a stand-alone document; rather, it works in conjunction with the November 2010 SPFC Descriptive Document, builds upon information presented in the original report, and documents changes to the SPFC that have occurred between November 2010 and July 2016. The 2016 Update documents the inventory of flood control projects and works (facilities), lands, programs, plans, conditions, and mode of operations and maintenance for the State-federal flood management system in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds of California, as well as informs the 2017 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update. In 2006 and 2007, California voters approved the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006 and the Central Valley Flood Protection Act of 2008 respectively. These acts defined the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River federal-State flood control projects as the SPFC, and required DWR to develop, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to adopt, a Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan is broader than the SPFC, affecting the entire watersheds of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. A complex system of dams and reservoirs, levees, weirs, bypasses, and other features constructed piecemeal over the last 100 years protects urban and rural areas against most flooding. This system has prevented billions of dollars in damage in its lifetime. A portion of this complex flood protection system includes State and federally authorized projects for which the Central Valley Flood Protection Board or DWR has provided assurances of cooperation to the federal government, known as the SPFC. These statutory authorizations include provisions regarding responsibility for operation and maintenance of the flood control facilities. The California Legislature has authorized funding for numerous flood control projects throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. As the SPFC evolves, updates to the SPFC Descriptive Document will be useful in determining funding eligibility for funding for facility improvements. RELATED DOCUMENT:  State Plan of Flood Control (2010)

State Plan of Flood Control Descriptive Document Update (2017)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | August 10th, 2017

The State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) Descriptive Document, November 2010, provided the first inventory and description of the flood management projects and features (fa

The State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) Descriptive Document, November 2010, provided the first inventory and description of the flood management projects and features (facilities), lands, programs, plans, conditions, and mode of operations and maintenance for the State-federal flood management system in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds of California. The 2010 Descriptive Document was prepared in response to Proposition 1E (Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Act of 2006), which required that information on the SPFC “…. be updated and compiled into a single document entitled, ‘The State Plan of Flood Control.’” Similar information is required to be a part of the CVFPP pursuant to the Central Valley Flood Protection Act of 2008. Legislation relevant to this document can be found in Appendix A. While much of the information contained in the 2010 Descriptive Document has not changed, it was anticipated that future updates would be necessary to keep the SPFC description current as new or ongoing projects were completed. Also, updates to the SPFC would be appropriate to reflect any additional or new documentation discovered on existing projects that would meet the requirements of the SPFC. The purpose of this update to the 2010 Descriptive Document is to describe changes that have occurred to the SPFC since the 2010 Descriptive Document due to project implementation and other related changes. This document also supports the data and analysis of the 2017 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update (CVFPP) and the 2017 Flood System Status Report (FSSR). The SPFC Descriptive Document Update (Update) is structured as a reference document and should be used in conjunction with the 2010 Descriptive Document to represent the SPFC as of June 30, 2016. It includes narrative descriptions, tables, figures, web links, and maps, to help the reader find information for this complex flood management system. Figure G-1 shows a geographic overview of the SPFC. Consistent with the 2010 Descriptive Document level of detail, this report describes changes to the major elements of the SPFC, but only to a level of detail necessary to orient the reader to the SPFC and reference where more information can be found. For example, a given reach of levee may have many encroachments such as pipes that cross under, through, or over the levee. In addition, a given river reach may have associated bridges, stream gages, drainage facilities, etc. No attempt was made to itemize all these encroachments and associated facilities in this Update. Because of the volume of available information, a reference digital versatile disc (DVD) was provided in the pocket at the end of the 2010 Descriptive Document. The DVD provided more details than could be contained in the text of the 2010 report. The contents of the 2010 Reference DVD, excluding the SPFC Mapbook and O&M manual database, is located on the 2012 CVFPP webpage at http://www.water.ca.gov/cvfmp/2012-cvfpp-docs.cfm.