'Living' levee in Palo Alto Baylands aims to solve multiple problems with one-of-a-kind solution

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- A first of its kind project in Palo Alto is nearing completion, and it's building a better Bay Area for our environment in a unique way.

A new horizontal living levee will protect from sea-level rise in an environmentally friendly way, while also maintaining habitats naturally using wastewater.

Construction continues, but you'll see no trucks or cranes. Instead, there are shovels and plants. It's an ecological assembly of a living levee along the Palo Alto Baylands.

"We really want to respond to communities that want to see more nature-based solutions and see more innovative projects within our region," said Heidi Nutters with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. "This is a huge step forward for us in that regard. I can't tell you how exciting it is to see folks out here planting today. It feels like we're putting the frosting on the cake."

It's a project a long time coming that's finally nearing the finish line. A traditional levee with a concrete wall and boulders is a "one solution, one benefit" approach.

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But the natural, 315-foot long horizontal levee is a multi-beneficial solution to our region's biggest problems.

"It protects habitat, polishes wastewater and protects critical infrastructure from sea-level rise in the future," Karin North said, city of Palo Alto's asst. Public Works director overseeing the environmental works division.

"I think there are a lot of great benefits that this project is trying to provide, that a lot of people want to see in their area," said City of Palo Alto sr. engineer Samantha Engelage.

This is a project of partnership that includes help from the surrounding communities in a unique way.

Wastewater created throughout the peninsula will be treated and used to help replenish these wetlands.

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"Here in the estuary, we have a lot of concerns about nutrients in the water in our bay," Nutters said. "As the wastewater goes through that wetland system, the microbial activity below ground is removing the nutrients from that water. And it's going out into the bay in a way that's much healthier for fish and for people."

The planting of the native plants in this layer of the levee is the latest step in construction.

The project has a completion date expected in Spring of 2026.

"Hopefully we can showcase it as a permanent pilot, letting residents and other people in the Bay Area know that this is a phenomenal solution that is a multi-benefit approach," North said.

It may be the first of its kind, but for the benefit of our climate and a better Bay Area, there's hope it's not the last.