Sea Level Rise

and Los AngelesBeth Jines, Director of Sustainability

Office of the Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa

2

more than 4 million people

470 square milesThe footprint of the City of

Los Angeles can accommodate 7

7 major American cities and Manhattan

CONTEXT: CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Areas Affected by SLRPorts of Los Angeles and Long BeachCoastal Wastewater Treatment and Energy

Generation FacilitiesCoastal InfrastructureTourism

Ports

Coastal Treatment Plants

Energy Generation Facilities

Infrastructure

Tourism

Needs• Collaboration among Researchers on SLR Planning Range

• Form your own version of the IPCC – Consensus is important

• Community Design Standards • Short and long term, that can be used by Planning Agencies

• Armament Design and Engineering• We are not going to be able to move everything

• Damage and Cost Estimates • Include cost of doing nothing

• Retreat and Abandonment• If areas are abandoned, how to abandon to minimize environ degradation

• Effects on Water Supply• What is affect of SLR on Salt water intrusion barrier interface?

• Create a sense of Urgency

PortsISSUE:SLR and bridges – will ships be able to access the PortsInnundation during stom surges or high tideHave not focused on SLR for design until this yearDamage to ground-level facilities and toxic-waste storage sites

ACTION:RAND study to examine SLR scenarios Have begun raising the height of some docksVulnerability Assessment done by end of 2010Then Adaptation planning

Coastal PlantsISSUE:Facility flooding due to elevation and SLRStorm surges may overwhelm systems/facilities

leading to discharges of untreated waste Facilities and pits and ponds may be underwaterOutfall maybe affected – tidal gates may need to be

redesigned and relocated

ACTION:Adaptation Modeling

Wastewater Treatment PlantsTwo Coastal Waste Water Treatment Plants – Hyperion and Terminal Island Water Reclamation

 Plant • Serve 4 million people; Average Flow: 450 - 500

MGD; 5 Mile outfall to Santa Monica Bay at Hyperion

Energy Generation FacilitiesScattergood Energy Plant and Harbor

Generating StationNext to HyperionScattergood Elevation 14 ft.Sumps and basement area elevations at 4ft.,

already flood during high tides and storm surges.

InfrastructurePacific Coast Highway undermined or floodedCoastal Sewers innundatedStorm Drains and stormwater collection systems

innundatedPipelines undermined Salt Water Intrusion Barrier failureSalinity increase in Water Supply

Tourism

Tourism and beach use is very important to the regionSignificant Financial DamageSand LossLoss of beach front properties and businessesStorm SurgesSurfing – better or worse?Pier DestructionWetland lossCooling Areas