Maps of San Diego Coast Show Sea Level Rise by 2050

The San Diego Foundation put together a study published in 2008 that predicts local sea levels could rise 12 to 18 inches by 2050 due to climate change.

Dr. Dan Cayan and Julie Thomas from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography put together the maps. More than 40 local university professors, nonprofit organizations and public and private-sector entities helped complete the Focus 2050 study.

"We had maps made because they didn't exist before," said Dr. Emily Young from the San Diego Foundation, who helped put together the report.

New maps due out later this year will be part of the first California-specific sea level rise assessment report.

Put together by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the report will detail various scenarios of sea water rise in California in 2030, 2050 and 2100.

"Now the state has become much more involved in this area so we can do more detailed maps in areas including Imperial Beach and San Diego," Young said. "This is going to be the authoritative assessment for the state of California for everyone to use."

According to the foundation's data and maps, sea level will rise the same amount from the U.S.-Mexico border to north San Diego, she said, but its impact depends on the area's elevation and geographic makeup.

"So what they do is they have a really detailed topographical map that they generated for the San Diego County coastline and they lay those maps on top of potential sea level rise predictions."

With assistance from the San Diego Foundation, private contractor ICLEI is also organizing a vulnerability assessment to help coastal cities prepare for the consequences of climate change.

The stakeholders work group is made up of the Airport Authority and the Port of San Diego and its five member cities, including Coronado and Imperial Beach.

The assessment will detail things such as potential impact to wastewater treatment, habitat and residences and will be presented at a daylong meeting for stakeholders March 30. The group met for the first time in November 2010.

"We wanted to get some comments and input as to what kind of facilities and land uses might be at risk if the sea level and actually the bay level might rise," said city planner Jim Nakagawa from the city of Imperial Beach.