FORT BRAGG, CA., 6/11/25 — The Noyo Ocean Collective on Saturday presented the first phase of its plan to build resilience in the Noyo Harbor, hosting an open house at the Noyo Center’s Marine Science Field Station and gathering community feedback on strategies to strengthen the harbor’s economy and prepare for sea level rise.
The plan, known as the Noyo Harbor Blue Economy, which falls under the collective’s Blue Economy Vision Resilience Initiative (BEVRI), is intended to “create a roadmap for coastal resiliency within the harbor,” according to the Noyo Ocean Collective’s website.
The blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean and water resources for economic growth while preserving the health of marine ecosystems.
According to its website, founding members of the Noyo Ocean Collective include the City of Fort Bragg, the Noyo Harbor District, the Noyo Center for Marine Science, Mendocino College, the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, and the West Business Development Center, with support from California Sea Grant, the California Coastal Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and other affiliates and agencies.
Saturday’s event, which drew nearly 100 attendees according to environmental consultant and event co-host Sarah Wickman, featured a series of maps illustrating projected impacts of sea level rise, storm flooding, tidal inundation, and bluff and dune erosion under various scenarios. Inundation refers to land permanently submerged by water, while flooding describes land temporarily covered during storm events.
Some maps illustrated future hazard zones and impacts on harbor infrastructure, including local restaurants and retail buildings. According to a handout from California Sea Grant, sea level rise could range from half a foot to more than 6 feet, depending on the year and emissions scenario. An intermediate scenario projects a rise of 1.7 feet by 2080; a more extreme projection estimates 3.9 feet. One foot of sea level rise is expected by 2050, based on thermal expansion and ice melt. Projections are based on data from the NOAA gauge at Arena Cove, the closest station with comparable conditions.
Jinal Mehta, a consultant with Arup, a global design and engineering firm, spoke about the relevance of current-day storm scenarios.
“It’s important to look at the present-day storm because it has a chance of happening this year, in the next year,” Mehta said. “And it also gives us a preview of what may happen in the future when it comes to looking at inundation with higher levels of sea level rise.”
Potential adaptation strategies commonly used elsewhere were displayed alongside space for community members to share their own ideas. Examples included vegetated berms, habitat restoration, seawalls, and strategic placement of sediment or dredged materials. Public suggestions ranged from drainage system upgrades and jetty improvements to revitalizing underutilized harbor “opportunity zones.”
Sarah McCormick, the City of Fort Bragg’s Economic Development Manager, California Sea Grant Fellow Jami Miller, and several consultants including Mehta led the event on behalf of the Noyo Ocean Collective.
McCormick said that community outreach has also included booths at local events like Whalefest, ocean-themed Tuesday Trivia nights at Tall Guy Brewing in Fort Bragg, educational presentations and field trips in local schools, and working with Mendocino College students.
McCormick clarified that while the collective is focusing specifically on the Noyo Harbor, the project coordinates closely with other local planning efforts.
“The Coastal Commission grant we got for this project is from the same pot of money that Mendocino County received for their LCP [Local Coastal Program] amendment that they’re working on,” she said. “So they’re doing the entire Mendocino Coast, including the coast of Fort Bragg. Findings for the city of Fort Bragg they’re going to share with us. We’re going to incorporate that into our local coastal program, and then all the findings down here, we’re going to provide to the county for their policies.”
Mehta noted that the project is about halfway complete.
“We’re getting public input and harbormaster input and stakeholder input, and we’ll create the final one,” she said. “And there’s a second part of the project where we take that and the goals of the BEVRI plan to develop a holistic adaptation strategy.”
The public is encouraged to participate in online surveys related to Blue Economy Vision Resilience Initiative and other collective projects through the Noyo Ocean Collective website.
A handout from California Sea Grant at the event described another project under the Blue Economy Vision Resilience Initiative umbrella, a feasibility study on restoring the Northern California red abalone fishery. According to the handout, the fishery, once an important economic driver in Mendocino County, closed in 2018 after a sea star die-off caused a surge in purple urchins that destroyed kelp forests and left abalone without food. A benefit concert to support the upcoming second annual Kelpfest! will take place June 21, and a draft plan of the Noyo Harbor Blue Economy will be shared at a follow-up event on October 3 during Kelpfest.
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