Sea Level Rise and Shoreline Adaptation

Background

Tiburon is located along an extensive peninsula projecting into Richardson and San Pablo Bays. The peninsula is generally steep with several areas of reinforced shoreline. Highly valued shoreline shops and restaurants on Main Street as well as portions of Bay Road and the Boardwalk shopping center and low-lying natural areas in the Greenwood Beach area are projected to be impacted in the near and medium term. Vulnerable assets include residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, civic and recreational facilities, historic resources, and visitor-serving infrastructure. Access to Tiburon from Highway 101 and Corte Madera could also flood in the medium-term, potentially cutting off residents from critical services and destinations.  

In the long-term, much of Downtown Tiburon as well as the Cove and Boardwalk shopping center areas and portions of Paradise Cay and Bel Aire neighborhoods (some 135 acres in total, on 450 properties) may be vulnerable to inundation. Vulnerable downtown assets include Tiburon Boulevard and other streets; the Bay Trail; the Ferry Terminal; the Tiburon Fire Department, library, and post office; historic buildings along Main Street; hotels, shops, businesses, and housing. The long-term projection could result in over $400 million in assessed value damage and nearly $600 million in the single-family market in Tiburon, as well as approximately 2.5 miles of flooded roadways exposed to saltwater and erosion. While these projections are critical to the Town’s ability to prepare and adapt, these projections may not present a complete picture of rising water levels in specific locations. Sea level rise will be accompanied by rising groundwater levels, fluvial flooding, and shoreline erosion.

Upcoming Work and Request for Proposals

In 2025, Tiburon was awarded a Sea Level Rise Planning Grant from the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) that will be used to develop the Town's first jurisdictional Sea Level Rise Shoreline Vulnerability Assessment and Shoreline Climate Adaptation Plan.

The Town is currently seeking proposals from specialized consultants to confirm coastal flood hazard exposure and vulnerabilities along Tiburon’s shoreline and develop a Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan that meets the requirements from BCDC's Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) Guidelines and identifies adaptation strategies for Tiburon’s shoreline. 

Request for Proposals - Proposals due September 16th by 5:00pm

RFP Schedule 

RFP Documents and Resources

• 08/25 Information Session Slides
• 08/25 Information Session Presentation Recording
• 08/25 Information Session List of Attendees
• Responses to Consultant Questions

All addenda will be posted to the Bids and RFPs Page

Additional Resources and Reference Materials

Although Tiburon has not had the opportunity or resources to develop its own standalone Vulnerability Assessment or Adaptation Plan, the Town has played an important leadership role in the development of Marin County’s first sea level rise vulnerability assessment, BayWAVE. Since then, Tiburon has benefited from several County-wide sea level rise vulnerability assessments. Prior studies have been led by public agencies such as the County of Marin and, more recently, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM).  

See this comprehensive list of sea level rise reference materials: 

• BCDC Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP)
• OPC State of California Sea Level Rise Guidance 
• SB1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program
• TAM Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning for Marin County's Transportation System Final Report
• TAM Final Draft Vulnerable Locations Memo
• TAM Final Draft Existing Plan Review Memo 
• Adapting to Rising Tides Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer
• Marin Shoreline Vulnerability Assessment BayWAVE
• CalTrans US101 & SR1 Sea Level Rise Project 
• Town of Tiburon 2040 General Plan

Questions?

Reach out to Grace Ledwith at gledwith@townoftiburon.org