Month: July 2025

Earlier this week, U.S. Representative Kevin Mullin (CA) held a press conference along the San Francisco Bay to announce new legislation he is advancing through Congress on shallow groundwater and sea level rise, co-led with Rep. Andrew Garbarino (NY). The Groundwater Rise and Infrastructure Preparedness Act would direct the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to map projected groundwater rise through 2100, assess potential impacts on public infrastructure and public health, and recommend mitigation strategies for at-risk communities.

“In San Mateo County, migrating groundwater already affects private property and public infrastructure, said Len Materman, CEO of the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District, or OneShoreline. ‘To overcome these hurdles and build protection, we need the best tools at our disposal, and in regard to groundwater, we do not yet have this,’ Materman said of areas in the county where groundwater is already close to the surface.” (from KQED’s coverage of the press conference)

Full articles about the press conference:

• Lawmakers Push to Map Groundwater Before It Swamps America’s Infrastructure (KQED)
• Mullin takes on groundwater rise in San Mateo County (San Mateo Daily Journal)

Groundwater levels are projected to rise in low-lying areas around the San Francisco Bay as sea levels rise. Learn more about groundwater rise here: Shallow Groundwater and Sea-Level Rise

Coastside News has published a new article on OneShoreline’s efforts to expand the Countywide Flood Early Warning System to include Pilarcitos Creek in Half Moon Bay.

Len Materman, OneShoreline’s CEO, said “the goal is for the city or county to be able to issue an alert to give residents enough time to move belongings off the ground and relocate vehicles. This would allow city officials to close roads and warn the wastewater treatment plant of incoming floodwaters.“

Read the full article here: https://oneshoreline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Coastsidenews-re-Flood-Early-Warning-System-7.16.25.pdf

The San Mateo Daily Journal has published an article about OneShoreline’s recent efforts to expand the Countywide Flood Early Warning System.

“There’s a lot of factors that are involved, but basically, what we’re trying to do is consolidate in one place, in real time, information for people throughout the county that are in flood-prone areas,” said Len Materman, CEO of OneShoreline.

Read the full article here: https://oneshoreline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/San-Mateo-Daily-Journal-Flood-Early-Warning-System.pdf