Climate-change responsiveness and resilience in Sonoma County
“Holding back the sea requires technology; a retreat requires the management of human expectations. That’s probably why we’ll hold back the sea in a lot of places, even where it’s not environmentally advantageous” ~ James Titus, EPA Researcher
This is an issue on a global scale, but how countries, states, counties, cities, and communities are impacted and the changes that are necessitated by it differ based on region and population.
Sonoma County is not exempt. Sea level rise will swallow up land along the San Francisco Bay and the climate will become more erratic, causing more large storms which leads to more urban runoff, and of course, the return of drought conditions, which we discuss in the next section.
The 2017 fires from above
Climate change is the warming of the planet as a whole, with differences in local weather and climate from the historical record observed. This means most places will become warmer and drier but with an increase in storms and the severity of storms, while a few places experience colder and/or wetter weather. California, evidenced by recent and unprecedented drought, is likely going to become warmer and drier whilst experiencing more frequent storm-level events. The same is true for Sonoma County.
In Sonoma County, one of the biggest tourism drivers is wine tourism. Sonoma's 447 wineries annually generate $1.25 billion in US dollars in tourism revenues, $13.4 billion in economic benefits, and 54,000 jobs. It perhaps goes without saying, but more drought means fewer crops, and more storm events means more storm damage. Wildfires are also fed by drought, and Sonoma County has seen quite a few in the past decade, including this past October 2017, which witnessed the deadliest fires ever seen in California. Catastrophic events on that scale are expected to grow in frequency, as the globe warms.
An increase in storm-level events is also predicted and has already been evidenced over the past few years. Storms cause property damage, but more damaging than that is flooding caused by urban runoff during rain events. Along with flooding, runoff also causes significant pollution of streams and rivers with oils and gasoline, chemicals, sediment and nutrients such as nitrogen used for agriculture. Nitrogen in particular causes toxic algal blooms which have occurred in the Russian River and caused a significant amount of problems including loss of tourism.
Climate change is also causing glacial melting to occur. This disrupts ocean currents, weather patterns, and causes sea level rise. It will be difficult to measure the first two as glacial melting is just one of many factors that contributes to them, but sea level rise had been extensively studied and scientists are now urging cities to start preparing for it. The California Ocean Protection Council paid for an extensive study of sea level rise in California, which states that as of now, the California coast is already seeing issues associated with sea level rise such as extensive coastal flooding during storms, periodic tidal flooding, and increased coastal erosion.
King tides, caused by the relative positions of the Earth, sun and moon, mimic sea level rise, backing up the Petaluma River, according to a Sonoma County planning manager. The tides also back up the Russian River, causing flooding at Duncans Mills, about 4 miles from the ocean. County officials have anticipated a 6-foot rise, which would result in flooding at Bodega Bay, Duncans Mills, Jenner and other areas.
In Sonoma County, the threat would be from two sides. The western facing coast side would see flooding up river and streams and loss of beaches, but the main point of damage would be from the San Francisco Bay, which would follow the Petaluma River upstream to the heart of Petaluma, causing devastating flooding of streets, businesses, and homes. Highways 101, 37, 121, and 12 would all be flooded in places, shutting down routes that are used daily by commuters traveling to San Francisco.
Solutions
Currently, Sonoma County (along with much of California) is taking a two-tiered approach to Climate Change.
On the one hand, by doing what we can to mitigate damaging pollution and energy usage in Sonoma County, we can minimize our contribution to the issue. On the other hand, because we have past the critical carbon dioxide tipping point in our atmosphere, climate change cannot be halted, only slowed. Therefore, Sonoma County has begun looking at actions it can take to prepare and adapt to the changes we will be witnessing over the next 50-100 years.
On May 21, 2015, the Sonoma County Adaptation Workshop gathered 88 leading voices together to discuss how to respond effectively to the climate hazards facing Sonoma County.
Suggested Ideas & Actions
Innovate and Model Change. Our current ways of dealing with Climate Change is often outdated, not comprehensive, and disconnected from other efforts being made. Increasing communication between organizations, focusing on activities that make up people’s everyday lives, and applying new technology. Making use of more natural solutions like employing floodplains, using marshes and wetlands for water filtration and infiltration, containment basins for flood control, and natural fire buffers.
Foster Social Resilience
Creating communities that are built for sustainability. Encouraging walking, biking, and public transit use. Helping vulnerable neighborhoods recover and addressing the housing affordability crisis. Creating more green spaces, more trees, and easier access to public services to connect communities.
Manage the Water Cycle as One
Integrating water management for sustainability in each major watershed to assure plentiful water access even in drought conditions. Such management should aim to reduce water waste, support the natural water system’s many benefits, and protect sensitive species and habitats.
