PROJECTS
KELLOGG RESILIENCY PROJECT
Latest Updates (March 8, 2023):
Thanks to everyone that participated in our Kellogg Resiliency Project Community Workshop on Saturday March 4th! A special thank you to Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez and Assembly Member Lori Wilson’s representative for attending.
With Suisun City and community partners Sustainable Solano and Greenbelt Alliance we addressed questions and facilitated small group discussions. The result was a productive discussion with clear input we will incorporate into the project design going forward!
Workshop Presentation Materials are available here – and – the three Draft Design Concepts are available here.
Community Input is vital for a resilient future! If you have questions or comments to share, please contact us at (707) 429-8930
We will continue to work closely with our community to create the most resilient outcome possible for this project.
For any questions about the project contact:
Emily Corwin
707-428-9138
Overview
WHAT PROBLEM IS KELLOGG FACING?
The Kellogg stormwater basin and pump station are located next to the Suisun Slough, owned by the City of Suisun City and particularly vulnerable to sea level rise related flooding and fire. This zone experienced a devastating fire in June 2020 when fire engulfed the project site and adjacent properties including nearby homes and enclosures at the Suisun Wildlife Center.
WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE BEING PROPOSED?
The Project Team, including the City of Suisun City, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District, and numerous community stakeholders plan to propose, design, build, and maintain a nature-based solution at the Kellogg Pump Station site to address future conditions. The project has potential to demonstrate a scalable solution for other locations in the city, county and Bay Area.
The initial planning phase of this project is funded by the city of Suisun City through an allocation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Infrastructure Investment funds.
THE THREATS WE FACE
Sea Level Rise
Rising sea level is mostly due to a combination of glaciers and ice sheets melting and thermal expansion of seawater as it warms. By the end of the century, global mean sea level will rise at least by one-foot above 2000 levels, even if greenhouse emissions slow (NOAA Climate).
Wildfire
Fires are often caused by human activity or a natural phenomenon like lightning, and they can happen at any time or anywhere. In 50% of wildfires recorded, it is not known how they started. Wildfires have a negative impact on your health and lead to serious conditions when exposed to mercury (a byproduct of fires). Symptoms of mercury exposure are not limited to breathing difficulty, muscle weakness, irritation and seizures (World Health Organization). This site is particularly vulnerable to fire, as evidenced during a June 2020 fire that engulfed the project site and adjacent properties.
OUR RESOURCES TO PROTECT
The Suisun Marsh
The Suisun Marsh is the largest contiguous brackish water marsh remaining on the west coast of North America. It serves as a resting and feeding site for thousands of waterfowl migrating on the Pacific Flyway and provides essential habitat for more than 221 bird species, 45 mammal species, 16 different reptilian and amphibian species and more than 40 fish species (California Department of Fish and Wildlife).
Our Community
Suisun City is a diverse community that hosts many activities for residents to enjoy and is home to several vital groups rooted in the County including Rush Ranch, Suisun Marsh Natural History Association (known locally as the Suisun Wildlife Center), and many more.
Project Site
Why does the Kellogg Pump Station exist?
Stormwater pump stations perform an essential service of collecting and pumping rainwater that runs off our driveways, roofs, sidewalks and streets to prevent flooding. The Kellogg Pump Station collects all the stormwater runoff within an almost 90 acre area that includes Suisun City residential areas and parts of historic downtown. The stormwater is pumped to the nearby Suisun Slough. Without the pump station, stormwater would flood into the neighborhood and surrounding area.
The Current Problem
The project site has experienced fires in the last 2 years and is predicted to experience devastating losses due to sea level rise if no action is taken.
Flood projections estimate Suisun City will experience 6 to 10 inches of water level rise by 2030, 13 to 23 inches by 2050 and more than 40 inches by 2100 – without taking into account king tides, freshwater flooding, or increases in groundwater levels. These projections are based on projections by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, you can explore here.
It is vital for residents to protect and adapt to these threats. Since these solutions are long term, community engagement is vital to success. We ask residents and community members in Suisun City, and especially that reside close to Kellogg Street, to be part of this project – visit the get involved page for ways you and your loved ones can engage in efforts to create a more resilient future.
Engineering Solutions with Nature
What are Nature-based Solutions? The International Union for Conservation of Nature defines Nature-based Solutions as actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature. We believe that a solution that enhances the public space, addresses current threats and can cohesively exist and tie with our natural environment is the best solution long-term. We aim to incorporate nature into this project wherever feasible.
Understanding The Science Behind The Design
Conventional engineering solutions are often “gray” due to common and well established infrastructure designs and methods. Often made out of concrete and industrialized materials, these gray infrastructure designs can be unsustainable long-term and often require costly maintenance due to weathering. We are proposing a Nature-based Solution at the Kellogg Pump Station to provide multiple benefits to residents, visitors and the environment by creating a space that reduces risks to residents from sea level rise, provides fire access, and encourages active community engagement through the use of green spaces and walking trails.
Project Timeline
November 2022
December 2022
January 2023
February 2023
March 2023
June 2023
Planning Stages
The Project Team will met with partners, community leaders, and stakeholders to discuss opportunities and constraints.
Data Collection
The Project Team is gathering new and existing information about the project site (e.g. land surveys, geotechnical data, conduct wetland delineation, etc.)
Design Process
The Project Team will propose alternative concept designs for the Kellogg Resiliency Project for review with the community.
Community Engagement
We want to work with you during this process! The Project Team will host a community design charette to discuss design alternatives. We ask that you complete this survey to help the project team better understand the community needs.
Data Evaluation
Based on community input, the Project Team will propose a project design that provides multiple benefits to the community and the environment.
30% Project Design
The Project Team will develop engineering plans for the preferred project alternatives, and begin scoping Phase 2 of the Project.
Join Our Efforts
Community Survey
We need community input to shape the types of infrastructure we design to protect homes and the environment in the future.
Please complete this survey and provide your contact information to learn more about this project and others in our community! The survey will be open for input through March 2023.
Kellogg Resiliency Project Community Workshop
Please join us for this community workshop on Saturday March 4th, 2023 at Council Chambers at City Hall in Suisun City from 10 AM to 1 PM. Lunch will be provided.
Make sure to RSVP here.
Get Involved in Suisun City and Fairfield
Suisun City and the City of Fairfield have committees and town hall meetings that often address or discuss projects similar to the Kellogg Resiliency Project and more. If you want to participate in your town hall meetings check their website and dates below:
Suisun City: The Suisun City Council meets twice a month at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of the month in the City Council Chamber in Suisun City Hall. Visit their website here. Click here to learn more about Suisun City’s Environment and Climate Committee.
City of Fairfield: The City of Fairfield City Council meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber in Fairfield City Hall or through Zoom. Visit their website here.
Get Involved at the Fairfield Suisun Sewer District
Check out our Get Involved page and find ways you can engage with us year round through our Earth Day event in April or Coastal Clean-up event in September. If you want to learn more about the Fairfield Suisun Sewer District and what we do schedule a plant-tour with us!
Our Team
Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District
The District is a wastewater special district about 40 miles northeast of San Francisco serving approximately 150,000 customers in Central Solano County, California, in the Cities of Fairfield and Suisun City, including the Travis Air Force Base and portions of unincorporated Solano County. The District safeguards public health and helps protect the Suisun Marsh, the nation’s largest brackish water marsh and the largest remaining contiguous wetland on the Pacific Coast of North America.
Over several decades, the District has evolved from a technical engineering entity to a valuable resource manager, partner in local economic development, and active member of the watershed community. The District has taken numerous actions to shift traditional thinking about the way wastewater utilities are run.
City of Suisun City
Suisun City was established in the 1850s around the time of the California Gold Rush and is now home to to 110,018 residents (as of 2014). The city is rich in water‐oriented natural and recreational resources, as well as historic architecture and other heritage resources. Natural watercourses traverse the community providing opportunities to increase recreational access for people that enjoy kayaking, fishing, bike riding, bird watching, cycling, and hiking.
City decision makers have shown a determination to invest in improving public plazas and parks, improving infrastructure Downtown, and seek grant funding to remediate properties affected by hazardous materials, in order to grow as a more vibrant community
Terraphase Engineering
Terraphase is an environmental engineering and consulting firm headquartered in Oakland, California, with a strong background in water resource engineering and aquatic resource permitting, design, implementation/construction, and monitoring of constructed wetland and green infrastructure projects within the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
The Terraphase Team brings significant experience working on shoreline resilience efforts in the Bay Area and prize the input afforded by local communities to help shape shoreline resilience efforts to protect and enhance the fabric of their communities.
