Sea Level Rise Adaptation Will Cost Over $1 Billion At A Marin County Beach, A Report Says

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A new report puts forth suggested projects to protect Stinson Beach and the surrounding area that will total over an estimated $1.2 billion.

The projects would include elevating homes, roads, and bridges, raising infrastructure, including the bulkheads of Seadrift and Bolinas Lagoon, constructing dunes and cobble berms along beaches for natural buffering, and implementing a community-wide wastewater treatment system.

“The adaptation pathway was developed based on stakeholder engagement as well as engineering, environmental, regulatory, social, and economic considerations,” said Chris Choo, the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) assistant director. “Our planners worked with consulting firm Environmental Science Associates (ESA) to identify and analyze feasible adaptation strategies.”

The Stinson ARC project, which began in 2022, will culminate in the presentation of its adaptation pathway by the CDA during a Board of Supervisors meeting this August.

Stinson Beach faces risks from ocean waves, Easkoot Creek flooding, and rising sea levels — threatening homes, infrastructure and recreational access.

Winter storms exacerbate beach erosion and roadway flooding. Half of Stinson properties are vulnerable to groundwater, impacting septic and utilities.

January 2023 storms exemplified these threats, damaging properties and closing the beach parking lot. Sea level rise adaptation requires community leadership. Marin County has prepared for adaptation but hasn't funded private infrastructure protection, though the report suggests funding sources.

“Public education efforts about sea level rise and the need for adaptation plans have been a constant mission for us, dating back more than a decade,” Choo said. “We hope that this report will spark productive conversations among the broader public in general and Stinson Beach residents in particular.”