Title
Presentation and discussion regarding a request for partnership funding for the Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance financial study related to a regional coastal barrier system (City Manager)
Background:
BACPA is a nonprofit corporation that researches alternatives for storm surge protection in the Gulf Coast region, provides information and resources to educate the public about the economic, security, and public safety benefits of such alternatives, and carries out other charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities.
A coastal barrier would stop the ocean surge at the coast where it is about 17 ft. If left unchecked, a storm surge could fill up Galveston Bay with a massive amount of water and the wind and water behind it would push the surge up to 24 ft. or higher causing significant damage to property, sensitive ecosystems, and the loss of human life.
A coastal barrier system could be developed using manmade sand dunes (revetments covered with sand and natural grasses) along the length of the coast connecting to the existing Galveston Seawall. Bolivar Roads and San Luis Pass could be protected by large moveable flood gates that would be closed in the hours before landfall of the storm but would not impact shipping or the ecology of the bay when open.
BACPA has been working on the concept of a coastal barrier system for some time. Originally called the "Ike Dike,” an informal name derived from Hurricane Ike, which made landfall in Galveston, Texas, on September 13, 2008, the system is now referred to as a coastal barrier concept. This reflects the fact that it's a more inclusive system, which protects a larger region.
BACPA has sent a proposal to all cities in the region to share in the $100,000 cost to commission a financial study of the coastal barrier concept. The study will demonstrate to bond investors that by lowering flood risk along the coast, flood insurance premium savings could generate and pay debt service for resil...
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