A new report says the rise in the sea level over the coming decades could be devastating to coastal areas like Santa Barbara.
That would include iconic areas like Stearns Wharf, as well as beaches like Leadbetter and East Beach, and areas like Cabrillo Boulevard and Shoreline Park.
The city report says sea level increase could by 2.5 feet by the year 2060, and 6.6 feet by 2100.
City officials have called that increase overwhelming.
They are releasing a sea-level-rise adaptation plan in February. The plan will give officials a better picture of what they would have to deal with, along with what changes the city would have to make to protect both its shoreline and big infrastructure projects like the waterfront desalination plant and the El Estero Water Resource Center.
One official says that dealing with this issue will be one of the biggest problems the city has ever faced.
