High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
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Abstract
We assess flood overtopping potential (when flood water elevation exceeds levee elevation) to the levees surrounding the islands in the interior of California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Because critical natural gas infrastructure is susceptible to overtopping-related disruption, we focus our analysis on regions that are crossed by the network of the state's natural gas pipelines. We use laser scanning data collected during 2015-2016 to estimate subsidence rates since 2007 when an earlier, Delta-wide, airborne laser-scanning topographic dataset was collected. For each levee studied, we combine: (1) the estimated subsidence rate, (2) a conservative range of sea-level rise projections and, (3) an estimate of the 100-year freshwater flood stage to project the time until exceedance of the federal levee height standard (PL84-99). We find that subsidence rates vary from 0-5 centimeters per year (cm/yr) with mean values of ~1-2 cm/year. Local gradients in subsidence can be on the order of cms/yr over a distance of 10s of meters parallel to the levee crests, and these types of gradients are present near some pipeline crossings. The Sherman Island region has subsidence rates close to a factor of 2 greater than other areas considered. Our projections indicate general ranges of exceedance date from about 2060 (fast sea-level rise scenario) to 2080 (slow sea-level rise scenario) with some places projected to exceed threshold by about 2050.
Study Area
Publication type | Report |
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Publication Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
Title | High resolution measurement of levee subsidence related to energy infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta |
Series number | CCCA4-CEC-2018-003 |
Year Published | 2018 |
Language | English |
Publisher | California Energy Commission |
Contributing office(s) | Earthquake Science Center |
Description | vii, 51 p. |
Larger Work Type | Report |
Larger Work Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
Larger Work Title | California’s fourth climate change assessment |
Country | United States |
State | California |
Other Geospatial | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta |