Colma Creek Restoration + Adaptation Plan

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA

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This project aims to reshape the banks of tidal reaches of Colma Creek and the Bay shoreline to restore and expand tidal marshes and critical habitat. The restoration project will have significant flood mitigation benefits and provide expanded public access to nature. This includes creating a vital new connection for neighboring disadvantaged communities to access the Bay and Bay Trail. Funded by a Measure AA grant and supported by the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District, the project is prioritizing and aligning stakeholders around the feasibility of a restoration-led approach to achieving multiple benefits.

The project proposes to expand creek sections to reduce flood risk from future sea level rise, improve nature-based stormwater treatment where pump stations discharge into the creek, and enhance shoreline landscapes to improve Bay water quality. All this will be achieved while also improving trail connectivity, restoring habitat, and promoting community stewardship.

The multidisciplinary design team, led by Hassell Design, is building upon its 2019-2020 Resilient By Design planning and community engagement work, along with the best available science from regional planning initiatives and a continued focus on centering community participation in the process. Lotus is performing H+H modeling to assess tidal and flood performance, as well as sediment accumulation over time and during flood events, to inform engineering design through the design development phase. Model results are helping to characterize future risks and communicate the range of possible mitigation measures and associated multiple benefits to stakeholders and community members.