Adaptation and Resilience Technical Assistance Program
Hayward Area Resilience Shoreline Collaborative
The Hayward Area Shoreline Resilience Collaborative is a joint effort to safeguard Hayward’s shoreline – a vital landscape of tidal marshes, trails, and wildlife that shields nearby neighborhoods and infrastructure from flooding. Facing up to three feet of projected sea level rise, the Collaborative is pioneering nature-based solutions like horizontal (“living”) levees that combine flood protection with habitat restoration, water quality improvement, and public recreation. Through the HASPA Shoreline Adaptation Implementation Plan, the First Mile Horizontal Levee, and the Hayward Nature-Based Solutions Project, local agencies and community partners are creating a unified, innovative model for climate adaptation that enhances resilience while restoring the Bay’s natural ecosystems.
First Mile Horizontal Levee
Located along the Oro Loma Marsh between Bockman Canal and Sulphur Creek, the First Mile Horizontal Levee is a groundbreaking project: the first full-scale “living levee” in the Bay Area that is designed to improve water quality while enhancing sea level rise resilience. Led by the East Bay Dischargers Authority (EBDA) in partnership with SFEP and a team of engineers and designers, the project transforms a conventional levee into a broad, gently sloped performative landscape planted with native vegetation.
This innovative design:
- Absorbs tidal energy and reduces flooding
- Restores marsh habitat for birds, fish, and wildlife
- Filters treated wastewater to improve water quality
- Adds recreation opportunities, including a new segment of the Bay Trail
The First Mile proves that innovative design can deliver multiple benefits—protecting people, enhancing ecosystems, and creating accessible open space for all. A 60% design for the levee is expected to be completed in Summer 2026.
HASPA Shoreline Adaptation Implementation Plan
Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA) – a Joint-Powers Authority that convenes the City of Hayward, East Bay Regional Park District, Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, and Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District – is advancing a unified vision for shoreline resilience. With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) and HASPA have brought on a team of designers, engineers and planners to work with local agencies and community members to:
- Develop an implementation strategy for the 2021 Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan
- Research and suggest updates to HASPA’s governance structure to improve collaboration and project delivery
- Help Prioritize over 20 potential capital projects, many centered on nature-based shoreline protection
This work lays the foundation for coordinated, long-term investments in flood protection and ecological restoration across the entire Hayward shoreline.
Learn more about the HASPA Shoreline Adaptation Implementation Plan.
Hayward Nature-based Solutions Project
At the Hayward Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF), the City of Hayward is planning a Nature-Based Solutions Project that integrates water treatment, flood protection, and habitat restoration.
The concept includes converting the WRRF’s former oxidation ponds into treatment wetlands that reduce nitrogen discharged into the Bay, improving water quality and supporting wetland habitat. A new living levee along the bayward edge would provide protection against sea level rise while creating a transition zone where plants and wildlife can migrate as sea levels rise. Plans also envision integrating a segment of the East Bay Regional Parks trail along the levee, offering visitors new elevated viewpoints and access to nature. A concept design for the wetland and levee system is expected in fall 2026.
Learn more about the Hayward Nature-based Solutions Project.
Contact
