Six new sea level rise-focused risk reduction project case studies have been added to the Coastal Hazards Risk Reduction Project Mapper. Although we still continue to feature new projects that address erosion, flooding, tsunami, and other coastal hazards in Washington State, we have recently prioritized building out the assortment of case studies that describe how communities are incorporating sea level rise projections into city planning, infrastructure improvements, and redevelopment plans for parks and waterfront spaces.
Below, we include excerpts from several of the recently added sea level rise-related case studies. Visit the recently redesigned Project Mapper to read the full case studies and view other projects. Each case study contains lessons learned and contact information for a project lead to reach out to with questions.
Thank to you Jim Johannessen at Coastal Geologic Services, Marty Stump at Metro Parks Tacoma, Lara Whitely Binder with King County, Susan Clark with the City of Olympia, and WSDOT for helping us create these case studies.
Please email Henry Bell with general questions or if you have information to contribute toward a new coastal hazard risk reduction case study.
Sea Level Rise Risk Area for Vashon-Maury Island
Using the latest local sea level rise projections developed by the Washington Coastal Resilience Project, King County created a new Sea Level Rise Risk Area (SLR RA) for Vashon-Maury Island that extends inland from the edge of the existing 100-year floodplain, using the sea level rise projections and existing topography to create this newly designated risk area. Under these regulations, new homes built in the SLR RA are now also required to be built three feet above the 100-year base flood elevation and comply with a number of other floodplain regulations related to home construction.
Owen Beach Site Design & Planning
Metro Parks Tacoma received a grant to rebuild the popular Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park, but realized that they also needed to consider sea level rise in their planning process to ensure the park’s longevity. Working closely with Washington Sea Grant, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the UW Climate Impacts Group, and others, Metro Parks Tacoma reevaluated their initial design and incorporated the latest sea level rise projections to make Owens Beach a more resilient, sustainable, and natural space.
Planning for Sea Level Rise in Downtown Olympia
The Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan was completed in March 2019. This Plan identifies needs for protecting the downtown, risks, uncertainties, private and public costs, funding, and a response that can be implemented incrementally and modified as new information emerges. A new interlocal agreement establishing the long-term governance structure for the Response Plan is expected to be approved in early 2021. This new interlocal agreement will form the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative.
Waypoint Park: Restoration along the Bellingham Waterfront
The Waypoint Park beach project restored a long-underutilized portion of downtown Bellingham’s waterfront district to provide public access to the water and benefit fish and bird species through the creation of potential forage fish spawning habitat and small native backshore vegetation areas. The project also accommodates 2.4 feet of sea level rise projected for the area by building a resilient beach structure to withstand waves and high water. Waypoint Park was awarded one of “America’s Best Restored Beaches” by The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association in 2019.
