South Shore Adaptation Project

Purpose

To enhance the South Shore beach, beach dunes, tidal marsh, eelgrass beds and offshore mudflats while addressing coastal flooding and sea level and groundwater rise. 

Project Area

Alameda’s South Shore is a three-mile long, human-made beach and bird sanctuary with offshore mudflats and eelgrass beds.  From west to east, the project area includes the City’s Encinal Beach and Ballena peninsula, Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach (Crown Beach), the City’s Shoreline Drive Beach and Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary.

Existing Conditions

It is a popular day-trip destination for residents and visitors throughout the region as it is the Bay Area’s longest swimming beach and is one of the few accessible bird sanctuaries in the Bay Area allowing for all ages and abilities to take part. Increasingly, major storms cause beach erosion, reduced public access and flooding on the beach, the San Francisco Bay Trail (Bay Trail) and Shoreline Drive. East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) manages the beaches for the State and the City. The beach movement leads to intermittent narrowing, which triggers sand moving or beach nourishment by EBRPD. In 1983 and 2014, EBRPD undertook major sand placement projects to maintain the beach. Due to EBRPD efforts, wintering Western Snowy Plovers have increased from 6 to 54. 

Expected future conditions with sea level rise

The South Shore area already is experiencing erosion by wave action. The rate of sea level rise is dependent on global carbon dioxide emissions and other factors so it is not possible to determine exactly when the Bay will rise by a certain amount.

The South Shore Adaptation Project (Project) includes developing a concept design to strengthen the beaches, the Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary tidal marsh and offshore mudflats with its eelgrass beds using nature-based solutions while enhancing the Bay Trail and Water Trail and improving drainage and water quality with stormwater management upgrades.  The beach, marsh, mudflats and eelgrass beds act as important buffers protecting Shoreline Drive, the Bay Trail, the bird sanctuary and inland areas from waves and coastal flooding.  A Geomorphology and Ecological Study will help determine the placement of additional marsh, mudflat, beach and eelgrass protections to include in the Project concept, which is a purpose of this staff report.  The Project concept will raise the shoreline to address two feet of sea level rise protecting the tidal marsh and inland land uses and will enhance wildlife habitat optimizing it for wintering waterfowl, migratory shorebirds and Pacific herring.  The Project will compare alternative sand retention/beach management strategies to the existing management plan.  Strategies to consider include marsh or mudflat expansion into the beach area, additional groins or similar structures, beach nourishment, eelgrass bed restoration and different renourishment locations or triggers.

Resilient Cities Catalyst (2026): This grant from the California Coastal Accelerator program is providing partial funding for the Geomorphology and Ecology Study. 

General Fund (2025): These local monies are partially funding the the Geomorphology and Ecology Study. 

Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) Grant Application (2025): The City of Alameda in partnership with East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) submitted a DBW grant application to fund sand replenishment on the South Shore beach.

Measure AA Grant Application (2025): The City of Alameda in partnership with EBRPD submitted a Measure AA grant application to fund the concept design for the South Shore area.

2026

• January: City Council meeting to authorize grant funding for the Geomorphology and Ecology Study

2025

• January 21: City Council Concept Designs Endorsement - presentation(PDF, 8MB), staff report, and video (starts at 14:20)
• January 30: Alameda staff submitted a Division of Boating and Waterway grant application for sand replenishment
• September: Alameda Sea Level Rise Planning Fair at REAP Climate Center
• October: Alameda staff submitted a Measure AA grant application to develop a South Shore concept
• December: Alameda staff/consultant team began the Geomorphology and Ecology Study to inform the next phase of more detailed design

2024

• Feb 6: Alameda City Council Work Session on Adaptation - link to staff report and video (51 minute mark) - Alameda Post article
• May- August: Conducted first round of community engagement 
• June: Alameda City and East Bay Regional Park District staff formed the South Shore Adaptation Sub-committee, which meets monthly 

2023

• June: Alameda City Council approved the adaptation project Community Partner - Greenbelt Alliance - link to staff report
• Sept: Alameda City Council approved the Technical Consultations for the adaptation projects - link to staff report

2022

• June: Alameda City Council approved the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan as an appendix to the General Plan Safety Element

2021

• Staff initiated the Oakland Alameda Adaptation Committee (OAAC) to plan for sea level rise adaptation in the Oakland-Alameda subregion

2020

• Nov: Alameda City Council accepted the report: “City of Alameda, The Response of the Shallow Groundwater Layer and Contaminants to Sea Level Rise,” which states that the areas at risk of future flooding increase by up to 25% when considering emergent groundwater - link to staff report

2019

• Sept: Alameda City Council approval of the City of Alameda Climate Action and Resiliency Plan - link to staff report
• Nov: Alameda voters passed the Water Quality and Flood Protection Fee on the ballot, which is used to operate and maintain a storm drain system, protect water quality, replace critical aging infrastructure, and prepare for sea level rise and the impacts of climate change 

Community Workshop - Presentation boards(PDF, 23MB) (September 2025) 

Governance White Paper(PDF, 894KB) (December 2024)

Interview with Corinna Gould, Sogorea Te' Land Trust (October 2024)

Community Workshops - Presentation boards (August 2024):

• Project Introduction(PDF, 3MB)
• Existing Conditions(PDF, 30MB)
• Climate Science and Adaptation Pathways(PDF, 4MB)
• Conceptual Adaptation Strategies(PDF, 5MB)

Community Workshop Presentation, Recording, and Survey Results(PDF, 213KB) (May 2024)

Existing Conditions Report(PDF, 22MB) (February 2024)

OAAC ADAPT Sea Level Rise Criteria(PDF, 4MB) (January 2024)