Project Overview
In accordance with SB 272 (2023), BCDC requires local governments with jurisdiction along the San Francisco Bay's shoreline to complete a Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SSAP) by January 1, 2034. To do so, local governments conform to the guidelines established in the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan.
City of Emeryville has partnered with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP),Cities of Albany and Berkeley, and other technical partners to form the East Bay Crescent project team. The team will take part in a regional study of shoreline risks and develop a local plan guiding adaptation. This work is funded through the California Ocean Protection Council's SB 1 grant program, which is designed to provide local and regional governments with funding for sea level rise adaptation plan development and project implementation.
This project will examine how rising sea levels, groundwater emergence, water quality, and severe storms could impact the East Bay Crescent shoreline, which includes the entirety of Emeryville's shoreline.
Project Timeline
The project’s anticipated timeline is:
- Project kickoff: Winter 2026
- Ongoing Quarterly Working Group Meetings (public): Winter 2026 – Winter 2028
- Existing Conditions Report and Vulnerability Assessment: Spring 2027
- Develop Subregional vision, goals, strategies, and plan: Fall 2027 – Winter 2028
- Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SSAP): Winter 2028
Community Engagement
The project's community engagement efforts will include:
- Creation of an East Bay Crescent Working Group as the primary forum for coordination and sharing information on the project tasks.
- Creation of an East Bay Crescent Equity Committee of up to six members from community-based organizations and tribes serving frontline communities. This Equity Committee will ensure community priorities are reflected in project deliverables.
- Creation and distribution of a community survey.
- 4 regional workshops
- 3 city-based workshops, 1 workshop held in each city (Emeryville, Albany, and Berkeley)
- Community shoreline walking tours
East Bay Crescent Map
The East Bay Crescent stretches from the Contra Costa County boundary to Radio Beach in Oakland, and includes shoreline within the cities of Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland. The Emeryville Crescent, a special curve of mudflat and marsh habitat, is part of the greater East Bay Crescent.
