Sea Level Rise Resources

This page provides a selection of useful documents and guidelines for planners, policymakers, and other professionals and practitioners seeking assistance with incorporating sea level rise considerations into their work.

Select the image or document title to view more information on each resource. Direct download links are also provided as available. If you have questions about which resources would be most suited to your purpose, please contact us at wacoastalnetwork@gmail.com.

Latest Additions (scroll down for more information):

Click here for a glossary of sea level rise terms used in the below resources.

Sea Level Rise Materials Produced for Washington State

Projected Sea Level Rise for Washington State

The Miller et al. (2018) projections describe potential changes in the long-term average relative sea level (i.e., over multiple years or decades), compared to the contemporary sea level.

For more information about the projections, please visit our Sea Level Rise Projections page

How to Choose: A Primer for Selecting Sea Level Rise Projections for Washington State
This primer is designed to guide potential users of the 2018 SLR projections through
the choices necessary to select and use SLR projections for their particular context. It was developed in 2020.

Direct Download: 
How to Choose PDF

Extreme Coastal Water Level in WA State: Guidelines to Support Sea Level Rise Planning

These guidelines are intended to be combined with sea level rise projections to support planning and assessment of future exposure to flooding along Washington’s coastline. They were published in 2019.

Direct Download:
Extreme Coastal Water Level PDF

Guidelines for Mapping Sea Level Rise Inundation for Washington State

Published in 2018, this material primarily aims to assist GIS professionals in developing maps of relative sea level rise inundation.

Direct Downloads:

SLR Considerations for Nearshore Restoration Projects in Puget Sound

This 2018 document provides information for evaluating the extent to which nearshore restoration projects are likely to be resilient to sea level rise. It is intended to assist restoration planning and design processes.

Direct Downloads:

Lessons Learned from Local Governments Incorporating SLR in Shoreline Master Programs

This report shares lessons learned and case studies from communities in Washington that have taken steps to include sea level rise considerations in Shoreline Master Programs (SMPs). The report identifies success strategies, challenges, needs, and opportunities for local governments. It was published by the Dept. of Ecology in 2021.

Direct Download: Lessons Learned: Sea Level Rise in SMPs

Washington State Community-Based Coastal Resilience Planning Guidebook

This guidebook assists Washington’s shoreline communities in planning and implementing coastal resilience strategies and projects at the local level. It includes a stepwise guide and background info on community-based planning. It was produced in 2020.

Direct Download: Coastal Resilience Planning Guide

Sea Level Rise Considerations in WA Capital Grant Programs

This inventory and compendium of lessons learned explores efforts by state agencies in Washington to incorporate sea level rise considerations into state capital grant funding programs. This rapid study by the Dept. of Ecology was published in 2020 and identifies successes, challenges, needs, and opportunities.

Direct Download: SLR in WA Capital Grant Programs

Social Vulnerability Assessment to Support Sea Level Rise Planning in the Puget Sound Region

To complement Washington Sea Grant’s parcel-level sea level rise vulnerability assessment for Puget Sound, NOAA developed a social vulnerability assessment for Puget Sound communities. The authors applied part of NCCOS’s vulnerability assessment framework through application of a regionally-modified Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) for Zip Codes within the Puget Sound drainage basin. 

Developed by: NOAA NCCOS
> Click to read an introduction
> Click to view document

Sea Level Rise and Management Options for Washington’s Shorelines

This document examines trade-offs associated with various coastal management options that are likely to be considered for Washington’s shorelines as sea level rises. Specifically, this resource qualitatively assesses the costs, effectiveness, and social and ecological implications of hard defensive structures, softshore stabilization, accommodation approaches, and retreat and avoidance strategies.

Published: 2022, WSG and Ecology
> Click to view document

Additional Sea Level Rise Planning Resources

Identifying an Effectively Engaging Stake- and Rights-holders

This job aid helps with idenitfying who potential stake- or rights-holders are, who the “right” ones are for a particular climate adaptation effort or project, why some
stakeholders don’t engage in public processes, and what can be done to lower the hurdles to stakeholder participation.

Direct Download: Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders

Adapting to Climate Change: A Planning Guide for State Coastal Managers

Developed by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management in 2010, this guide provides a broad but useful rubric for coastal managers that are developing and implementing adaptation plans to reduce climate change impacts. 

Direct Download: NOAA Planning Guide

Tools for Coastal Climate Adaptation Planning: Selecting Tools to Assist with Ecosystem-Based Climate Planning

This is a guide for selecting appropriate tools for multi-sector climate adaptation planning. It details the role of different tools in various planning processes and is intended for community planners and coastal natural resource managers. Published in 2013.

Direct Download: Coastal Climate Adaptation Planning

Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) Portfolio

The ART Portfolio provides extremely helpful planning guidance, tools, and information for addressing climate change challenges. The framework is applicable to any geography. It was developed by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Comission with assistance from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management.