Title
Sea Level Rise Response Plan - Update
Report
UAC Deliverable:
Briefing only and provide feedback to staff. City Council expects follow-up and recommendations from the UAC in 2017-2018.
Staff Contact:
Andy Haub, Water Resources Director, 360-753-8475
Eric Christensen, Planning and Engineering Manager, 360-570-3741
Background and Analysis:
Water Resources staff briefed the UAC on Olympia’s response to sea level rise (SLR) on May 5 and October 6, 2016. Staff explained sea level rise, its potential implications to our downtown and our approach to response planning. City Council has requested that the UAC work with staff on developing a formal sea rise response plan.
City staff has spent the remainder of 2016 preparing for the formal planning process as time allows. We’ve become more confident in our ability to effectively plan for sea rise and implement responses, at least within our 50 to 100 year planning window.
Based on a research review, we are currently recommending that we plan for 24 inches of sea rise by the year 2050 and 55 inches by 2100. These projections may change with the planning process. However, researchers indicate with 99% confidence that sea rise will not exceed 72 inches by 2100.
At this month’s UAC briefing, City staff will provide the UAC with another update on our work. We have recently:
• Established partnerships and financial relationships with the Port of Olympia and LOTT Clean Water Alliance.
• Solicited and reviewed consultant proposals to provide technical, planning, and communications support. Next step is to enter into a services contract with the preferred firm.
• Refined our emergency response procedures and trained operations staff.
• Worked with WA Department of Enterprise Services on managing Capitol Lake elevations during river floods.
• Scheduled a community informational meeting for the evening of February 8th at the Olympia Center. We typically provide a community update on sea rise every winter. Attendance is typically high.
• Filled in data gaps with our land and infrastructure elevation data.
• Refined our understanding of potential near-term constructed responses.
• Better educated ourselves on climate change and sea rise issues communication techniques.
• Established a city-wide staff work group that meets regularly.
• Provided Water resources staff with a sea level rise informational briefing.
• Continued to monitor national sea level rise research and response measures.
• Included an article dedicated to sea level rise in the Five Things utility bill publication.
• Created a sea level rise story map on the City’s sea level rise webpage.
We will begin the plan in earnest in late February 2017. Next steps include:
• Adopting an interlocal agreement with the Port and LOTT that defines work relationships and cost sharing.
• Preparing the overall framework for the planning process.
• Developing a communication strategy.
Financial Impact:
The Storm and Surface Water Utility, Port of Olympia, and LOTT will pay consultant costs. Costs will be better understood in February.
Attachments:
None