Sea Level Rise: An Increasing Risk To California Water Projects

摘要

Sea level rise would have profound effects on low lying coastal and estuary regions and especially on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California. The Delta is the hub of water transfer from north to south for two big water projects, the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP). This transfer would be threatened by rising sea levels. Higher ocean levels would probably require major changes in Delta infrastructure and operations due to the twin threats of more salinity intrusion from San Francisco Bay and greater risk of levee failure. The levee system protects some 300,000 acres of land below sea level. A major levee break during the dry season could cause an inrush of salt water temporarily halting export water transfers at the two major pumping plants in the southwestern Delta. However, current and near future rates of rise appear to be slow, giving time for protective measures, at least until 2050.