Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project

The Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project will reduce current flood risk and prepare the Bay Farm Island northern shoreline for up to two feet of sea level rise, which is expected to occur around 2040-2060. The project combines coastal flood protection, drainage improvements, habitat enhancements, and public access improvements. This is a near-term adaptation project that also lays the foundation for longer-term shoreline adaptation through the Alameda Shoreline Adaptation Plan, currently in development.

Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project Fact Sheet(PDF, 564KB)

Materials(PDF, 7MB) from Sept. 2025 Sea Level Rise Planning Fair covering Near-term Alternatives, Mid- to Long-term Considerations and the Near-term Adaptation Project for Bay Farm Island.

Bay Farm Island Bay Trail at Veterans Ct.

Purpose

To remove the lagoon area of Bay Farm Island from the FEMA 100-year floodplain; protect against near-term sea level rise; bolster the northern shoreline and Bay Trail from erosion; enhance shoreline habitat with nature-based solutions; enhance public recreation, including improvements to the San Francisco Bay Trail. 

Project Area

Bay Farm Island's northern shoreline for the near-term project and the entire Bay Farm Island for the long-term strategy, in concert with the Alameda Shoreline Adaptation Plan.

Current and Future Flood Risk

Portions of Bay Farm Island currently sit within FEMA’s mapped Special Flood Hazard Area and the northern shoreline already floods during major coastal storms and King Tides. Flooding is expected to become more frequent and severe as sea levels and groundwater rise and extreme rainfall events intensify.

Seawall at Veterans Court with overflowing water

City Council endorsed the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project design concept(PDF, 8MB) in January 2025.

Refined 30% design concepts(PDF, 111MB) were completed in April 2026.

Key Project Components

Coastal Flood Protection: Reduce coastal flood risk and remove homes from the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area with new levee from Veterans Court to the lagoon.

Lagoon Flood Management
 Improve drainage and manage flooding during high Bay water levels with a new tide gate, pump station, and gravity pipe.

Nature-Based Shoreline & Habitat Enhancement
 Reduce erosion and enhance habitat with pocket beaches, rock islets, marsh  improvements, sediment retention features, and native shoreline planting.

Veterans Court Reconfiguration
 Expand marsh and mudflat habitat while reconfiguring the roadway and parking area at Veterans Court.

Public Access & Recreation
 Improve the Bay Trail and shoreline experience with overlooks, seating, accessible shoreline access, a fishing pier, and educational signage.

Island Drive Adaptation
 Raise low areas along Island Drive to reduce flood risk and complete the near-term flood protection system.

 

Phase

Funding Source

Timeframe

Description

Phase 1: 30% design

FEMA Community Project

2023-2025
  • Developed a design concept to 30% design
  • Community engagement

Phase 2: Refined 30% design

City General Fund

2025-2026
  • Complete surveys and geotechnical studies to inform the next phase of design
  • Initiate regulatory agency review and environmental documentation

Phase 3: 60% design

State Coastal Conservancy Prop 68 grant

2026-2028
  • Continues design to 60 percent
  • Complete the environmental documentation
  • Coordinate permitting
  • Community engagement
  • Develop interim adaptation measures on Island Drive to allow the lagoon areas of Bay Farm Island to be removed from the FEMA floodplain while a Doolittle Drive adaptation project is completed by Caltrans, which is expected to take longer.

Phase 4: 100% Design and Construction

To be determined

2028-
  • Complete design, permitting and construction.
  • Requires additional funding. Staff will consider all options available, including assessments of residents who will be removed from the FEMA flood plain because of the project.
  • A BRIC grant for design and construction is pending review by FEMA.

 

2028

  • Permitting completion

2027

  • Jan/Feb: 60% design completion and community workshop (estimated)

2026

  • December 14: Planning Board meeting – UC Berkeley Urban Design Studio student presentations on long-term shoreline adaptation ideas for Alameda. 
  • November 9: Planning Board meeting - status update on 60% design
  • October 28: CHBIOA board meeting - status update on 60% design
  • May: 60% design kick-off
  • April 7: City Council Acceptance Prop 68 grant for 60% design - staff report

2025

2024

2023

  • Early: Analyzed initial ideas of shore-term fixes in the northern shoreline area - presentation
  • June: Alameda City Council approved the adaptation project Community Partner - Greenbelt Alliance - staff report
  • Sept: Alameda City Council approved the Technical Consultations for the adaptation projects - staff report
  • Fall: Began grant to continue exploring short-term fixes in the northern shoreline area and to develop a long-range plan for Bay Farm Island, and approved a Project Charter  

2022

  • March: US Congresswoman Barbara Lee announced $1.5 million for the Bay Farm Island Adaptation Project in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Analyzed initial ideas of shore-term fixes in the northern shoreline area - presentation
  • June: Alameda City Council approved the mid-cycle budget, which included $500,000 from the General Fund as the local match for the federal Congressional Community Program grant - staff report
  • Dec: Alameda City Council accepted $1.5 million in grant funding for the concept design - staff report

2021

  • June: Alameda City Council approved $100,000 in Local Stormwater Fees for fiscal years 2021 to 2023 as shown in the Capital Improvement Program Project Sheet
  • June: City staff submitted a Proposition 68 grant to the State Coastal Conservancy
  • August: Conservancy notified that the City was unsuccessful at receiving Proposition 68 grant funds

2020

  • June: Alameda City Council approval of $350,000 in General Fund monies for this project - staff report
  • 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 - staff report

2019

  • Sept: Alameda City Council approval of the City of Alameda Climate Action and Resiliency Plan - 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, 7MB) (September 2025) 

Bay Farm Island Draft Concept Designs Workshop Presentation and Recording (December 2024) 

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

Community Partner Engagement Strategy(PDF, 4MB) (March 2024)

OAAC FEMA BRIC Grant Application - Technical Report(PDF, 8MB) (February 2024) 

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

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

OAAC King Tides Site Walk Project Overview Presentation(PDF, 19MB) (January 2024)

Erosion of the Bay Farm Island northern shoreline occurred during winter storms in 2024 at three locations shown in the map below: behind the Harbor Bay Club tennis court, behind 2905 Sea View Parkway, and behind 2857 Sea View Parkway.

In 2025, the City began seeking permits from the Bay Conservation Development Commission (BCDC), SF Regional Water Quality Control Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to install temporary tiger dams to protect these areas of the shoreline from further erosion. Permits have been issued by BCDC and the Regional Water Control Board, but the City continues to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to get receive  permit for complete these temporary measures.

Bay Farm Island shoreline erosion locations

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Contact

Danielle Mieler, Sustainability and Resilience Manager

(510) 747-4713

dmieler@alamedaca.gov

 

 

If you need an alternative or translated format, please contact ada@alamedaca.gov. 

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Progress

City Council endorsed the design concept on January 21, 2025. The City staff/CMG consultant team has completed 30 percent design. A Prop 68 grant, which is administered by the California Coastal Conservancy, will complete 60 percent design and environmental documentation in 2028.

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