How does sea level rise affect farmland in the Bay?

The Bay Area Biosolids Coalition collaborates with regional groups to assess impacts of sea level rise on low lying farm land

In collaboration with the San Francisco Estuary Institute, Sonoma Land Trust, and Ducks Unlimited, the Bay Area Biosolids Coalition and Bay Area Clean Water Agencies participated in the development of the Biosolids in the Baylands White Paper. The purpose of this document is to bring together existing knowledge of the baylands and biosolids management to address two questions: (1) do synthetic compounds from biosolids land application inhibit wetland restoration? and (2) could land application benefit the restoration process? This paper addresses how these shared community needs (biosolids use and habitat conservation, future wetlands restoration, and sea-level rise resilience) can be compatible and serve as a planning guide for the Bay Area baylands.

What does the document contain?

In this paper, we describe the value of baylands for conservation, how biosolids can be beneficially used, and the current legislation influencing and regulating these outcomes. It then explores opportunities to manage restoration and biosolids together. Our goal is to provide feasible steps to address challenges on a regional level, considering recent changes in legislation (e.g., SB 1383) that will have impacts on biosolids management. The strategies presented in this paper are meant to guide planning in the Bay Area baylands.