Exploring Limitations of Marsh Restoration for Flood Risk Reduction
Publication: ASCE Inspire 2023
ABSTRACT
With increasing coastal hazards and ecosystem deterioration, there is interest in the US and internationally in restoring wetlands to reduce coastal flooding and adapt to sea level rise. Restoring diked and drained former wetlands, such as the salt ponds in San Francisco Bay, California, represents a promising strategy but requires specific analyses to evaluate performance and effectiveness. It is widely acknowledged that wetlands can reduce flood risk, but under some conditions, marsh restoration may also amplify flooding. These effects can be controlled by the restoration design and should be included early in restoration planning. Here, we explore management scenarios in one of the salt ponds of San Mateo County with both a numerical and a simplified hydrodynamic model to understand how different restoration scenarios influence water levels with sea level rise. We provide guidance on key factors for restoring coastal wetlands now and into the future.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Ashley, D., and T. Didion. 2021. “Housing or Wetlands? Fight Continues over Future of Bay Area Salt Ponds.” ABC 7 News, March 11, 2021. https://abc7news.com/salt-ponds-cargill-redwood-city-marsh/10404796/.
Barnard, P. L., M. van Ormondt, L. H. Erikson, J. Eshleman, C. Hapke, P. Ruggiero, P. N. Adams, and A. C. Foxgrover. 2014. “Development of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) for Predicting the Impact of Storms on High-Energy, Active-Margin Coasts.” Natural Hazards 74 (2): 1095–1125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1236-y.
Barnard, P. L., et al. 2019. “Dynamic Flood Modeling Essential to Assess the Coastal Impacts of Climate Change.” Nature Scientific Reports 9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40742-z.
Beagle, J., J. Lowe, K. McKnight, S. Safran, L. Tam, and S. J. Szambelan. 2019. San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adapation Atlas: Working with Nature to Plan for Sea Level Rise Using Operational Landscape Units.
Booij, N., R. C. Ris, and L. H. Holthuijsen. 1999. “A Third-Generation Wave Model for Coastal Regions 1. Model Description and Validation.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 104 (C4): 7649–66. https://doi.org/10.1029/98JC02622.
Brew, D. S., and P. B. Williams. 2010. “Predicting the Impact of Large-Scale Tidal Wetland Restoration on Morphodynamics and Habitat Evolution in South San Francisco Bay, California.” Journal of Coastal Research 265 (265): 912–24. https://doi.org/10.2112/08-1174.1.
Bruun, P. M. 1978. Stability of Tidal Inlets.
Bunya, S., et al. 2010. “A High-Resolution Coupled Riverine Flow, Tide, Wind, Wind Wave, and Storm Surge Model for Southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Part I: Model Development and Validation.” Monthly Weather Review 138 (2): 345–77. https://doi.org/10.1175/2009MWR2906.1.
Callaway, J. C., E. L. Borgnis, R. E. Turner, and C. S. Milan. 2012. “Carbon Sequestration and Sediment Accretion in San Francisco Bay Tidal Wetlands.” Estuaries and Coasts 35 (5): 1163–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9508-9.
Callaway, J. C., V. T. Parker, M. C. Vasey, L. M. Schile, and E. R. Herbert. 2011. “Tidal Wetland Restoration in San Francisco Bay: History and Current Issues.” San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science 9 (3). https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2011v9iss3art2.
Callaway, J. C., V. T. Parker, M. C. Vasey, and L. M. Schile. 2007. “Emerging Issues for the Restoration of Tidal Marsh Ecosystems in the Context of Predicted Climate Change.” Madroño 54 (3): 234–48. https://doi.org/10.3120/0024-9637(2007)54[234:eiftro]2.0.co;2.
Crosby, S. C., D. F. Sax, M. E. Palmer, H. S. Booth, L. A. Deegan, M. D. Bertness, and H. M. Leslie. 2016. “Salt Marsh Persistence Is Threatened by Predicted Sea-Level Rise.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 181: 93–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2016.08.018.
Danielson, J. J., S. K. Poppenga, J. C. Brock, G. A. Evans, D. J. Tyler, D. B. Gesch, C. A. Thatcher, and J. A. Baras. 2016. “Topobathymetric Elevation Model Development Using a New Methodology : Coastal National Elevation Database Topobathymetric Elevation Model Development Using a N Ew Methodology : Coastal N Ational Elevation Database.” Journal of Coastal Research, no. 76. https://doi.org/10.2112/SI76-008.
“Delft3D Flexible Mesh.” 2022. Deltares. https://www.deltares.nl/en/software/delft3d-flexible-mesh-suite/.
DHI. 2013. Regional Coastal Hazard Modeling Study for South San Francisco Bay.
Foster-Martinez, M. R., J. R. Lacy, M. C. Ferner, and E. A. Variano. 2018. “Wave Attenuation across a Tidal Marsh in San Francisco Bay.” Coastal Engineering 136 (February): 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2018.02.001.
Foxgrover, A. C., M. Marvin-DiPasquale, B. E. Jaffe, and T. A. Fregoso. 2019. “Slough Evolution and Legacy Mercury Remobilization Induced by Wetland Restoration in South San Francisco Bay.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 220 (August 2018): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2019.02.033.
Handa, R. 2021. “Redwood City Salt Ponds Likely Safe From Development – at Least for Now.” NBC Bay Area, April 23, 2021. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/climate-in-crisis/redwood-city-salt-ponds-likely-safe-from-development-at-least-for-now/2526894/.
“Hazard Reporting and Analytics (HERA).” 2017. https://www.usgs.gov/apps/hera/.
Homer, C., et al. 2020. “Conterminous United States Land Cover Change Patterns 2001–2016 from the 2016 National Land Cover Database.” ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 162 (March): 184–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2020.02.019.
Kirezci, E., I. R. Young, R. Ranasinghe, S. Muis, R. J. Nicholls, D. Lincke, and J. Hinkel. 2020. “Projections of Global-Scale Extreme Sea Levels and Resulting Episodic Coastal Flooding over the 21st Century.” Scientific Reports 10 (1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67736-6.
Möller, I., et al. 2014. “Wave Attenuation over Coastal Salt Marshes under Storm Surge Conditions.” Nature Geosciences 7: 727–31.
Moraes, R. P. L., B. G. Reguero, I. Mazarrasa, M. Ricker, and J. A. Juanes. 2022. “Nature-Based Solutions in Coastal and Estuarine Areas of Europe.” Frontiers in Environmental Science 10 (June): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.829526.
Narayan, S., M. W. Beck, B. G. Reguero, I. J. Losada, B. Van Wesenbeeck, N. Pontee, J. N. Sanchirico, J. C. Ingram, G. Marie Lange, and K. A. Burks-Copes. 2016. “The Effectiveness, Costs and Coastal Protection Benefits of Natural and Nature-Based Defences.” PLoS ONE 11 (5): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154735.
Narayan, S., M. W. Beck, P. Wilson, C. J. Thomas, A. Guerrero, C. C. Shepard, B. G. Reguero, G. Franco, J. C. Ingram, and D. Trespalacios. 2017. “The Value of Coastal Wetlands for Flood Damage Reduction in the Northeastern USA.” Scientific Reports 7 (1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09269-z.
Pinsky, M. L., G. Guannel, and K. K. Arkema. 2013. “Quantifying Wave Attenuation to Inform Coastal Habitat Conservation.” Ecosphere 4 (8). https://doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00080.1.
Safran, S., A. Robinson, J. Beagle, M. Klatt, K. Cayce, and R. Grossinger. 2013. A Landscape Ecology Analysis of San Francisco Bay-Delta Marsh Then (1850) and Now. Richmond, CA.
San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. 2017. “Grants Funded by Measure AA : The San Francisco Bay Clean Water, Pollution Prevention and Habitat Restoration Measure June 2017,” no. June. https://sta.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/STA/Groups/STABoard/Meeting Agendas/2017/09-13-17/11.Ba_Att A Measure AA.pdf.
SFEI (San Francisco Estuary Institute). 2016. “No Title.” San Francisco Bay Shore Inventory: Mapping for Sea Level Rise Planning GIS Data. 2016. http://www.sfei.org/projects/SFBayShoreInventory.
SFEI ASC (San Francisco Estuary Institute & Aquatic Science Center). 2015. “Bay Area Aquatic Resource Inventory (BAARI) Version 2 GIS Data.” 2015. http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/manage-data/tables/calculating-area-length-and-other-geometric-properties.htm.
Shepard, C. C., C. M. Crain, and M. W. Beck. 2011. “The Protective Role of Coastal Marshes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” PLoS ONE 6 (11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0027374.
Smolders, S., Y. Plancke, S. Ides, P. Meire, and S. Temmerman. 2015. “Role of Intertidal Wetlands for Tidal and Storm Tide Attenuation along a Confined Estuary : A Model Study.” Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 15: 1659–75. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-1659-2015.
Sweet, W. V., et al. 2022. Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States: Updated Mean Projections and Extreme Water Level Probabilities along U.S. Coastlines.
Takekawa, J. Y., K. M. Thorne, K. J. Buffington, K. A. Spragens, K. M. Swanson, J. Z. Drexler, D. H. Schoellhamer, C. T. Overton, and M. L. Casazza. 2013. “Final Report for Sea-Level Rise Response Modeling for San Francisco Bay Estuary Tidal Marshes.”, 161.
Taylor-Burns, R., C. Lowrie, B. Tehranirad, J. Lowe, L. Erikson, P. L. Barnard, B. Reguero, and M. W. Beck. “Quantifying the Value of Marsh Restoration for Climate Adaptation in an Urban Estuary.” In review at Scientific Reports.
Taylor, K. E., R. J. Stouffer, and G. A. Meehl. 2012. “An Overview of CMIP5 and the Experiment Design.” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 93 (4): 485–98. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00094.1.
Tehranirad, B., L. Herdman, K. Nederhoff, L. Erikson, R. Cifelli, G. Pratt, M. Leon, and P. Barnard. 2020. “Effect of Fluvial Discharges and Remote Non-Tidal Residuals on Compound Flood Forecasting in San Francisco Bay.” Water 12 (9): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092481.
Tides and Currents. 2021. NOAA.
Toledo, A. 2021. “Cargill Drops Fight to Build 12,000 Homes on Redwood City Salt Ponds.” The Mercury News, April 15, 2021. https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/04/15/cargill-drops-fight-to-build-12000-homes-on-redwood-city-salt-ponds/.
Wamsley, T. V., M. A. Cialone, J. M. Smith, J. H. Atkinson, and J. D. Rosati. 2010. “The Potential of Wetlands in Reducing Storm Surge.” Ocean Engineering 37 (1): 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2009.07.018.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
ASCE Inspire 2023
Pages: 583 - 593
History
Published online: Nov 14, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bodies of water (by type)
- Coastal engineering
- Coastal management
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Ecological restoration
- Ecosystems
- Environmental engineering
- Floods
- Natural disasters
- Salt water
- Sea level
- Seas and oceans
- Shores
- Water (by type)
- Water and water resources
- Water management
- Wetlands (coastal)
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.