Richmond gets residents involved in preparing for sea level rise along coastline

Scientists, urban designers, elected officials and over 40 residents gathered on Tuesday night at the RYSE Youth Center in Richmond to discuss how the city should respond to sea level rise. 

The event, hosted by The Watershed Project, was created to support the development of Richmond’s Sea Level Rise Adaptation and Resiliency Plan, which was mandated by a 2023 state law.

Attendees mingled around photographs and maps of Richmond’s 32 miles of shoreline. They watched naturalists from The Watershed Project give live demonstrations of groundwater rise with interactive models, and they used popsicle sticks, moss, and pipe cleaners to build a 3-D model of marshland with flood-resistent trails and structures. Engineers and designers from Mithun, a design firm contracted by the city, used graphics to show how projected sea level rise could impact Richmond during king tides and storm surges. 

The California Ocean Protection Council projects that sea levels could rise one foot by 2050 and up to 7 feet by 2100. California requires all coastal municipalities, including those on the San Francisco Bay, to develop an adaptation plan to address sea level rise by 2034. 

With more than 100 toxic sites on its coastline, Richmond is one of the Bay Area cities most at risk from rising sea levels. Beyond the risk of flooding, Richmond also faces the danger of hazardous materials from past and current industrial operations contaminating groundwater.

“Richmond has a lot to protect, and a lot more to protect compared to other municipalities,” said Natalie Matias, community engagement manager at The Watershed Project.

Richmond already experiences flooding along the Richmond Parkway and during bi-annual king tides. Many Atchison Village residents have had to install pumps to deal with flooding in subbasements. Even residents who are not directly affected by flooding will likely face impacts. 

“We’re not in the flood zone, but we’re going to be affected because electricity, water treatment, sewage, all that stuff is going to be impacted,” said Ann Norton, who has lived in Richmond for 15 years.

In September 2024, the Ocean Protection Council awarded Richmond a $1.5 million grant to plan for sea level rise, and last December, guidelines to shape local planning were released by The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

Lina Velasco, Richmond’s director of community development, said Richmond is working with partners including Mithun, The Watershed Project and Environmental Science Associates to draft a plan in the next 12 to 14 months. 

The community will be involved in the process, including student groups at Kennedy High School. Velasco said participation will depend on buy-in from residents, businesses, organizations and especially young people. 

“Ultimately this is the generation that’s really going to have to deal with the problem,” Velasco said.

Barry Webb, 77, said it’s also important for older residents to engage in the process. 

“ I’m not going to be around when the worst is, but you know what, you can’t leave this mess to the kids. So that’s why I’m here,” he said.   

Mithun staff detailed various strategies, including elevating structures, relocating communities, and building barriers from natural or manmade materials.

Attendees shared elements they would like to see included in shoreline planning projects, such as native flower gardens and elevated walkways across marshland.

The resiliency plan will include many existing projects that are addressing sea level rise. For example, the North Richmond Living Levee Project will create a barrier to prevent tidal flooding from impacting the West County Wastewater District’s treatment plant, neighboring industrial sites and parkland. Unlike a traditional concrete seawall, the levee is designed with natural materials from the surrounding ecosystem, preserving wildlife corridors and public access to the shoreline.

Activists from the Richmond Shoreline Alliance are pressuring the federal Environmental Protection Agency to accelerate the cleanup of the contaminated United Heckathorn Superfund Site in the Lauritzen Channel. They recently proposed a cleanup strategy developed by environmental scientists, engineers and residents.

Elsa Stevens, who has lived in Richmond for over a decade, said local action is especially important in the current “toxic” political climate. 

“Private individuals and local and state governments have to step in. The EPA has been hurt, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has been trashed, so it’s even more important that local, the individuals, and local government get involved in these issues,” she said. “Lack of care is as destructive as hate.” 

(Top photo by Brenda Vasquez)

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