The City initiated a General Plan & Local Coastal Land Use Plan update in 2016, which included a detailed Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan (SLRVAAP). Completed in 2019, the SLRVAAP evaluated vulnerabilities to City infrastructure and resources as well as the potential for future damages associated with coastal hazards such as coastal flooding, erosion, and severe storm events. The SLRVAAP identifies adaptation and resiliency strategies, which include sediment management and implementation of a “living shoreline”, a nature-based dune system, to address coastal erosion, coastal flooding, and sea level rise.
Preliminary Phase: Dune & Shoreline Management Plan Completed
The City received an Adaptation Planning Grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to create the Dune and Shoreline Management Plan, which included conceptual design for a living shoreline project. The purpose of this plan is to create a roadmap for a nature-based solution that will protect the shoreline and landward infrastructure against coastal hazards (e.g., tidal inundation, coastal flooding, and erosion) and future sea level rise. The conceptual living shoreline is a dune restoration adaptation strategy that will provide important benefits to coastal recreation, natural ecosystems, beach neighborhood, and the local economy. The City of Carpinteria Dune and Shoreline Management Plan (DSMP) was accepted by City Council in July of 2022. The DSMP serves as a planning document for a Living Shoreline Project, a near-to-midterm mitigation project designed to mitigate the impacts of coastal flooding and sea level rise while also restoring historic dune habitat on the Carpinteria City Beach.
Planning & Design Begins Fall 2024
On April 18, 2024, the City was awarded $1.62 million from the State Coastal Conservancy for environmental review and engineering design of the Living Shoreline Project. This phase will include extensive outreach, permitting, environmental review, and 65% engineering design for a nature-based solution along the Carpinteria City Beach and surrounding area to mitigate the impacts of coastal erosion, coastal flooding, and other coastal hazards. The proposed project prioritizes maintaining public access and the wide beaches that Carpinteria is known for.
The City anticipates beginning this next phase in September 2024. To be added to the notification list for project announcements and workshops, sign up here.
Staff Contact: Erin Maker, Environmental Program Manager, erinm@carpinteriaca.gov, 805.880.3415