American Canyon will spend the next two years refining a plan to combat sea level rise and protect the city and its residents from flooding, a worsening problem statewide due to climate-fueled storms.
“Sea level rise is an all-encompassing issue,” Lauren Webster, the city’s sustainability analyst, said during a Nov. 4 meeting of the city’s Open Space, Active Transportation and Sustainability Commission.
Webster said a $383,069 state grant will cover the budgeting costs to plan the program, which runs through December 2028. The grant awaits final approval from the Ocean Protection Council.
Sea level rise remains a concern across the Bay Area, particularly along low-lying shoreline communities like American Canyon.
“It does expose us to different types of risk,” Webster said.
Groundwater rise, saltwater intrusion and tidal flooding, she said, pose a particular risk to the city’s residential neighborhoods, roads and wastewater infrastructure.
According to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the region is already experiencing the effects of climate change and rising sea levels from high tides, storm surges and more destructive storms – all of which have exace...