Rising Sea Levels At Stinson Beach Reviewed By Bay Area Board Of Supervisors

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The board of supervisors will review a new plan this summer to adapt Stinson Beach to rising sea levels.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors will discuss a report outlining funding for future adaptation projects including: raising roads, bridges, and homes; elevating infrastructure like the Seadrift and Bolinas lagoon bulkheads; building natural buffers such as dunes and cobble berms; and transitioning to a community wastewater treatment system.

The report is called the Stinson Beach Adaptation, Resilience and Collaboration (ARC) adaptation plan. The three-year project, overseen by the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA), was initially published in June and focuses on how the beach community will adapt to an expected rise in sea levels of 3.3 feet by 2085.

Stinson Beach faces immediate risks from coastal flooding, threatening homes, infrastructure, and natural habitats. Winter storms and rising sea levels erode the beach, flood roads, and impact utilities, affecting access and visitation. Nearly half of Stinson properties are vulnerable to groundwater flooding, risking septic and underground systems.

An adaptation pathway was developed over a decade of stakeholder engagement and analysis. Starting in 2022, CDA planners and Environmental Science Associates (ESA) identified strategies. As storm damage increased, CDA collaborated with agencies like the National Park Service, Caltrans District 4, and the Stinson Beach County Water District on adaptation scenarios.