San Francisco Bay's tides are going to rise. Should we dam the Golden Gate first?
Experts studying the issue agree that sea level rise in coming decades could pose an enormous threat to San Francisco Bay’s shoreline. So perhaps it’s no surprise that there’s now talk of looking into an equally enormous response. Why not build a barrier to keep rising tides outside the Golden Gate? Researchers in the past have dismissed this seemingly straightforward concept on environmental grounds. Engineers are skeptical, too. But the enormity of the challenge has some Bay Area leaders saying it should at least be studied.Tom Kendall, who heads planning for the corps’ San Francisco district, says a study of this scale would need to be requested at a regional level before funding could be sought. If nothing else, the exercise could help get local activists and decision-makers thinking in terms of the overall bay.