Title
Sea Level Rise Plan Implementation Update
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing on implementation of the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a Briefing on implementation of the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan.
Staff Contact:
Pamela Braff, PhD, Director of Climate Programs, Office of Community Vitality, 360.753.8249
Presenter(s):
Pamela Braff, Director of Climate Programs
Background and Analysis:
Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan
The Sea Level Rise (SLR) Response Plan was developed in 2018-2019 through a joint planning effort between the City of Olympia, Port of Olympia, and LOTT Clean Water Alliance. The Plan provides a coordinated strategy to protect downtown Olympia and the Port peninsula from the impacts of sea level rise. The plan identifies adaptation actions, estimated costs, implementation schedules, and partner responsibilities.
In 2021, the City of Olympia, Port, and LOTT established the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative (Collaborative) to guide and support long-term implementation of the SLR Response Plan. The SLR Collaborative is made up of an executive committee of elected officials representing the member organizations and a staff-level technical work group. Thurston County, the Squaxin Island Tribe, and Washington State Department of Enterprise Services have also joined the Collaborative as non-voting, ex-officio members.
Implementation of Near-term Strategies
The SLR Response Plan identifies near-term (2019-2024), mid-term (2025-2050), and long-term (beyond 2050) response actions to be implemented over time. Many of the near-term actions assigned to the City of Olympia have already been implemented by the Public Works Department. This includes installing tide gates on stormwater outfalls and other key pipes, coordinating emergency response to flood events, and formalizing the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative.
Sea Level Rise Response Collaborative
The Collaborative has been working on the following actions in 2023 to support implementation of the Olympia Sea Level Rise Response Plan.
• Tide Gauge - Install a tide gauge at the port marine terminal to improve monitoring of local water level conditions.
• Land Subsidence Survey - Perform a satellite land subsidence survey to improve our understanding of local subsidence rates.
• Groundwater Study - Conduct a groundwater study to evaluate tidal influence and the potential impact of sea level rise on groundwater levels.
• Financing and Governance - Evaluate potential financing and governance mechanisms to fund and implement the Sea Level Rise Response Plan.
Work on these projects is expected to continue through 2024. The proposed 2024 workplan and budget includes several Phase 2 work items to further develop the workplan actions initiated in 2023.
• Land Subsidence Survey - Continue satellite land subsidence survey to monitor land subsidence. Three years of continued monitoring is needed for reliable results.
• Groundwater Study - Conduct a groundwater gauging event at the end of the wet season and generate a groundwater model to evaluate sea level rise impacts on groundwater levels.
• Financing and Governance - Facilitate an ad-hoc financial committee or workgroup to evaluate potential financing mechanisms identified during Phase 1.
Climate Analysis:
Implementation of the SLR Response Plan will not directly impact Olympia’s climate mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, other ongoing work focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help slow the rate and severity of sea level rise and related flooding in downtown Olympia.
Equity Analysis:
The 2023 and 2024 SLR Collaborative Workplan actions will provide additional data and guidance on how to fund and implement sea level rise response strategies. When appropriate, staff will consider how data collection and analysis for these work items can be designed to improve our understanding of who may be benefited and who will be impacted by future projects and funding.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There is considerable community interest in sea level rise planning and implementation of flood protection measures in downtown Olympia.
Financial Impact:
The total cost to implement the 2024 workplan is $180,000. Costs will be shared across the collaborative members and the necessary funding has been included in each member’s 2024 budget proposal.
The total cost to the City of Olympia is $90,000. This includes $75,000 of project funding, as well as in-kind contributions for staff time to administer and facilitate the Collaborative. Sufficient funds are included in the 2024 - 2029 Preliminary Capital Facilities Plan, Stormwater and Surface Water Projects Budget.
Options:
1. Receive the briefing.
2. Do not receive the briefing.
3. Receive the briefing at another time.
Attachments:
None