Extreme rainfall can send huge amounts of sediment rushing off hillsides and into streams. But a new USGS study finds that even an exceptionally wet year may deliver only a small fraction of that sediment to San Francisco Bay—far short of what is needed to help coastal wetlands and shorelines keep pace with rising sea levels. That finding highlights a paradox for coastal managers: climate change may produce more intense rainfall and more landslides, but the additional sediment generated by those events is still not enough, and does not necessarily reach the coast quickly enough, to bring much benefit to vulnerable Bay shorelines and wetlands. … San Francisco Bay’s tidal wetlands and shorelines depend on sediment to build elevation and maintain their position as sea level rises. 

Other watershed science news:

• Smart Water Magazine: What 40 years of data reveal about America’s rivers and aquifers