HUMBOLDT'S COASTAL RESILIENCY
Understanding Change & Building Resilience
The Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project encompasses multiple studies that focus on protecting our coastlines from the growing threats of sea level rise and extreme weather events. By studying how the beaches and dunes around Humboldt Bay and the Eel River delta are changing, this project aims to uncover the hidden dynamics shaping our shorelines. Through years of data collection and analysis, we are learning how these vital natural barriers respond to a changing climate, providing critical insights to help safeguard our communities, wildlife, and cultural heritage for the future.
Why this Study Matters
Protecting Our Coastal Communities: The beaches and dunes around Humboldt Bay and the Eel River delta serve as essential natural barriers, shielding local communities, wildlife habitats, and cultural sites from the forces of the ocean. Preserving these protective landscapes is crucial to maintaining the safety and resilience of our coastal environment and communities.
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Responding to Climate Change: As sea levels rise and severe weather events become more frequent, understanding how our coastline is changing is more important than ever. This study provides valuable insights into these changes, helping us to plan and prepare for future impacts, ensuring a more resilient coast for generations to come.
Project Location
The Multiple Facets of this Project
Shoreline
Transects
Adaptation
Sites
Sand Budget
Vulnerability Assessment
Key Findings and Recommendations
Based on the project process and results, the project team developed the following recommendations and next steps to explore:
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Retain sand within the Eureka Littoral Cell system to help maintain the shoreline, beach-dune barriers, protective functions, and coastal access.
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Utilize multi-level vulnerability analysis as a tool for identifying and assessing various aspects of vulnerability & resilience for a wide range of interests.
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Foster coordination between decision making agencies for broader approaches to adaptation due to the interdependency of vulnerabilities and resilience that span geographic scales (local, county, regional/state, federal).
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Promote proactive, comprehensive planning for land use to facilitate informed adaptation planning (e.g., rezoning, managed retreat, hard engineering, etc.).
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Consider nature-based solutions (e.g., dune restoration) as an adaptation strategy to increase shoreline resilience where feasible and appropriate.