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Malibu council receives coastal‑vulnerability assessment outlining sea‑level‑rise scenarios and adaptation options
Summary
City staff and consultants presented a finalized coastal vulnerability assessment that maps current and future coastal hazards for sea‑level rise scenarios and proposes a menu of near‑term adaptation measures; council members asked staff to use the report to pursue grants and to coordinate with Caltrans on PCH risks.
Malibu City Council members heard a presentation on Oct. 27 on the city’s coastal vulnerability assessment (CVA), a technical report and public‑engagement summary prepared by environmental consultants Environmental Science Associates (ESA).
Farrah Stack, the city’s environmental sustainability analyst, introduced civil engineer and coastal consultant James Jackson (ESA), who said the study assesses coastal hazards — shoreline and bluff erosion, tidal inundation, storm flooding and wave run‑up — under present conditions and future sea‑level‑rise scenarios (notably 2.5 feet and 6.6 feet). Jackson said the assessment used USGS COSMOS hazard mapping and that it is intended as a factual foundation for later adaptation planning, not a finished adaptation plan: “The main purpose of this study was to assess the vulnerability of the city's coastline to coastal hazards and sea level rise,” Jackson said.
The report identifies coastal development and critical infrastructure — including Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) — as exposed to erosion and storm impacts and notes risks to septic systems and beaches that are currently narrow under existing conditions. The next project phase, Jackson said, will assemble a “menu” of adaptation options across the green‑to‑gray spectrum, from dune restoration and kelp/reef support to structural measures such as armoring and elevation, and then recommend near‑term approaches for specific subareas.
Council members asked whether the Palisades fire and recent loss of structures change the assessment; consultants said the CVA’s hazard mapping remains valid and can be used to inform rebuild policy and to prioritize sites for future adaptation projects. Council members also asked staff to use CVA maps to press Caltrans for early action where PCH is vulnerable and to pursue grant funding and Coastal Commission coordination for pilot projects such as beach nourishment or living‑shoreline measures.
Staff said the CVA will be a resource for any future Local Coastal Program amendments and will inform where the city should pursue further studies, grant applications and design work to protect beaches, homes and the highway. The council directed staff to continue outreach and to incorporate the adaptation‑toolkit work into the next steps for coastal resilience planning.
