Grays Harbor County was awarded a $130,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to complete a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Study. As part of that study, residents in designated areas are asked to complete a survey by Jan. 17.
According to the project’s website, “This study will support shoreline planning and risk mitigation by improving the county’s resiliency to natural hazards pertaining to sea level rise and related vulnerabilities. Building resilience to natural hazards is vital for communities to help maintain quality of life, healthy growth, durable infrastructure and conservation of resources for present and future generations.”
Grays Harbor County Principal Planner Jane Hewitt took time out to answer some questions about the project.
The Daily World: What is the ultimate goal of the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability study?
Jane Hewitt: There are five equally important goals of the study:
1. Document existing flooding impacts, identify potential impacts from sea level rise in exacerbating flooding;
2. Characterize the risk of impact;
3. Identify areas of the community, resources, sectors or assets considered most vulnerable;
4. Conduct outreach and engagement with stakeholders to document existing challenges and community priorities.
5. Develop next steps for flood reduction and incorporating implications of SLR on built and natural assets.
TDW: Who are the players and what are their roles?
Hewitt: Grays Harbor County selected Moffatt and Nichol, a planning and engineering firm with offices in Seattle. Younes Nouri, PhD, PE is a coastal engineer with Moffatt & Nichol and is the project manager. The grant requires that a Technical Advisory Committee be convened which will review the study as it develops. These members include staff from Grays Harbor Emergency Management, Grays Harbor and Pacific conservation districts, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Washington and the Washington State Department of Ecology.
TDW: Is there funding for the project, how much and from where?
Hewitt: Grays Harbor County applied for and was awarded a Shoreline Planning competitive grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology for $130,000. The study is entirely funded by this state grant.
TDW: Is the survey informational or actionable?
Hewitt: The survey is informational and is just one small part of the community outreach to stakeholders. The deliverables required by the grant are:
1. Identification of existing studies and best available science.
2. Determination of future climate change hazards categorized as short-term, near-term and long-term scenarios.
3. Inventory of assets, infrastructure, and local populations.
4. Composite maps for storm and non-storm conditions for three scenarios of sea level rise change.
5. Summarize data inventory and coastal hazard mapping, including assets, infrastructure and hazard maps. GIS shapefiles of any hazard layers developed.
6. Assess vulnerability and risk based on hazard exposure, hazard sensitivity and adaptive capacity.
7. Review Shoreline Master Program and development recommendations.
8. Identify adaptation strategies
These deliverables will culminate in a final sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation report and an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap that will visually illustrate localized sea level rise scenarios. The study and the ArcGIS StoryMap will be hosted on Grays Harbor County’s website. The study will provide recommendations in terms of next steps to increase community resilience against sea level rise.
Next steps:
The sea level rise study is scheduled to be completed in June 2025, as required by the grant
Use the study as a basis to update the Critical Areas Ordinance and Shoreline Master Program
The baseline information could be used to apply for infrastructure improvement grants
Stakeholders and the public will have several ways to engage with the study, including the project survey which launched Dec. 4. For more information, visit www.graysharbor.us/departments/public_services/planning_division/index.php to learn more and take the brief survey. The survey will close on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Any questions can be directed to GraysHarborCountySLR@PublicInput.com.
