Bainbridge Island Sea Level Rise: Community Survey and Adaptation Support
Overview
Ever think about how sea level rise will affect Bainbridge Island and what we might do about it? EcoAdapt, with funds from the Bainbridge Community Foundation, is conducting research and building support tools for the Bainbridge Island Community to help foster conversation and awareness about sea level rise, its growing impacts on our community, and how we can respond and adapt as an Island community.
Objectives
- Conduct community surveys to identify state of understanding and concerns about sea level rise on Bainbridge Island
- Hold community conversations to follow up on survey work and have more in-depth discussions about concerns and ideas for solutions
- Create resources and connect community members to additional information about sea level rise, community vulnerabilities, and potential adaptation solutions
Project Activities
Project timeline: Winter 2022-Summer 2024
Survey administered: Dec 2022 - Jan 2023
In Winter of 2023, EcoAdapt conducted a community survey to learn what our friends and neighbors are concerned about with respect to sea level rise and what they see for our future. The purpose of this survey was to start a community conversation about how climate change will affect us and to start generating ideas regarding what we want to do about it. Summary results of the survey are provided here, and you can also find a 2-page downloadable summary below.
Second survey administered: June 2023
In Summer 2023, we conducted a follow-up survey with participants to ask them to rank their preferences for adaptation solutions in categories that were suggested by their peers in the initial survey. We had 124 people respond to our second survey, and a summary of this work is provided in the hyperlink and in the product section below .
Community Conversations: Jan-March 2024
In Winter through Spring of 2023-2024, EcoAdapt is conducting a series of neighborhood community conversations to build on our survey research and deepen the conversation around local ideas for sea level rise adaptation. If you are interested in participating in such a conversation, please contact us!
Resources
If you are interested in climate change and sea level rise on Bainbridge Island and in Puget Sound, these additional resources might be of interest to you:
Bainbridge Island climate action resources:
- Bainbridge Island Climate Impact Assessment
- City of Bainbridge Island Climate Action Plan
- Bainbridge Island Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Local information and resources about sea level rise impacts and projections:
- Sea Level Rise on Bainbridge Island: A Preliminary Assessment
- City of Bainbridge Island White Paper on Sea Level Rise
- Island County, WA Sea Level Rise Strategy Study
- University of Washington: Interactive Sea Level Rise Data Visualizations
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Level Rise Viewer
Information and resources for sea level rise adaptation solutions:
- Your Marine Waterfront: A guide to protecting your property while promoting healthy shorelines (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife publication)
- King County's Native Plant Guide for Marine Shorelines
Products