Title
Sea Level Rise Response Planning Update
Recommended Action
Briefing only. No action required.
Report
Issue:
Receive briefing on sea level rise planning work initiated by the City of Olympia (City), the Port of Olympia (Port) and LOTT Clean Water Alliance (LOTT).
Staff Contact:
Eric Christensen, Water Resources Engineering and Planning Manager, 360.570.3741
Presenter(s):
Eric Christensen, Andy Haub
Background and Analysis:
The City, the Port and LOTT have entered into an Interlocal Agreement to jointly fund and participate in a formal sea level rise planning process for downtown Olympia and the Port peninsula. A consulting firm, AECOM Technical Services, has been hired to help lead the planning effort. The City, Port and LOTT share common concerns regarding sea level rise, yet also have unique individual vulnerabilities.
The tasks to be completed by AECOM and the City, Port and LOTT for this project include:
1. Evaluate the best available science
2. Develop a sea level rise planning framework
3. Conduct a vulnerability and risk assessment of downtown assets
4. Develop three or four sea level rise adaptation strategies
5. Complete a Sea Level Response Plan
The first three steps in the planning process are now complete and the task work products, including the recently finalized vulnerability and risk assessment, are available for community review on the sea level rise webpage. We have started on the fourth task, adaptation strategies, and will be working on it throughout the summer.
In early May, AECOM will provide the team with a menu of conceptual physical adaptation strategies (flood barriers). On May 4, we will conduct a workshop with the internal team to review and evaluate AECOM's conceptual strategies. Because timing for implementation of the strategies will be based on flooding risks, efforts will be focused initially on the shorelines of Capitol Lake, and West Bay (Percival Landing), followed by the Port. The LOTT wastewater treatme...
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