Adapting to Rising Tides: Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer
SFEI’s Environmental Informatics team has designed and developed the Bay Area Flood Explorer for the Bay Conservation and Development Commission's (BCDC) Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) program. The project is designed to highlight threats posed by sea level rise. The map displays sea-level-rise data created by AECOM, which was developed with support from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area Toll Authority, and the greenhouse gas reduction funds. The Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer is intended for regional planning, as well as raising awareness of risks to housing, commercial interests, transportation, and other infrastructure posed by sea-level rise.
The Explorer is uniquely suited to support planning in the Bay by indicating areas vulnerable to flooding. The concept: “One Map, Many Futures” is reflected throughout the tool– depicting locally relevant water levels while integrating county specific sea level rise and extreme tide data.
The tool also utilizes the San Francisco Bay Shore Inventory GIS dataset, which was created by SFEI, and employs this data to indicate scenarios for which overtopping is likely. Phase one of the Bay Area Flood Explorer launched in May of 2019, with phase two expected to begin in June of 2020.
Dates:
2020
Associated Staff:
Project Site:
Programs and Focus Areas:
Environmental Informatics Program
Software Engineering
Geographic Information Systems
Primary Project
BCDC GIS, Graphics, and Technological Services
The San Francisco Estuary Institute is working to provide support for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) though Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Graphics, and Technological Services.
Related Projects, News, and Events:
Adapting to Rising Tides: East Contra Costa Shoreline Flood Explorer (Project)
As a continuation of our collaboration with BCDC and the Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) team, the technical team at SFEI has developed a new version of the sea-level rise visualization tool which focuses on East Contra Costa and the Delta. The East Contra Costa Shoreline Flood Explorer incorporates regionally specific data that takes into account inundation and flooding information as a product of riverine flooding and sea-level rise. The map visualizes these data in conjunction with storm events and makes it available to the public, businesses, and policymakers so that they can assess and prepare for potential impacts to communities.
Shallow Groundwater Response to Sea Level Rise (Project)
The response of shallow groundwater to sea-level rise is a relatively new field of study. For low-lying coastal communities, sea-level rise adaptation efforts must consider the potential for groundwater rise to avoid maladaptation. The need to better understand this slow and chronic threat was identified as a critical data gap in the San Francisco Bay Area’s adaptation efforts during the Bay Area Groundwater and Sea-Level Rise Workshop in 2019.
Adapting to Rising Tides: East Contra Costa Shoreline Flood Explorer (Project)
As a continuation of our collaboration with BCDC and the Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) team, the technical team at SFEI has developed a new version of the sea-level rise visualization tool which focuses on East Contra Costa and the Delta. The East Contra Costa Shoreline Flood Explorer incorporates regionally specific data that takes into account inundation and flooding information as a product of riverine flooding and sea-level rise. The map visualizes these data in conjunction with storm events and makes it available to the public, businesses, and policymakers so that they can assess and prepare for potential impacts to communities.