Sediment for Wetland Adaptation Project (SWAP)
BCDC is working to improve how sediment and soil are used to restore wetlands along San Francisco Bay. Wetlands protect shorelines from rising seas and provide habitat. This project was made possible through grant funding from the U.S. EPA and California Ocean Protection Council and includes an action plan developed with community input, potential changes to the Bay Plan, and a strategy for funding this work.
Bay Plan Amendment – Beneficial Reuse of Sediment and Soil for Wetland Restoration (BPA 1-26)
Share your input on the proposed policy changes to the San Francisco Bay Plan
Public hearing: Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 1:00PM · at the Bay Area Metro Center (375 Beale Street 1st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105).
Comments due: October 15, 2026. Written public comments received by October 14 at 10:00 AM will be distributed to Commissioners prior to the public hearing. UPDATE: The written public comment period has been extended to October 19 at 5:00 PM.
How to participate:
- Read the preliminary staff recommendation.
- Send written comments to publiccomment@bcdc.ca.gov with the meeting agenda item number or “BPA 1-26” in the subject line.
- Speak at the hearing: Hearing agenda will be posted at the Commission meeting page two weeks ahead of the meeting. Need an accommodation, translation, or interpretation? Contact info@bcdc.ca.gov. [/box]
What is being proposed?
The San Francisco Bay Plan is a comprehensive plan for the Bay and its shoreline. It guides BCDC’s regulatory and planning activities. The Bay Plan has existing policies that guide BCDC’s review of dredging in the Bay and habitat restoration projects. Healthy tidal marshes help make our region more resilient to sea level rise and provide essential habitat for native species. BCDC is proposing to amend the Bay Plan to increase the use of dredged sediment and soil from construction to build up and restore wetlands.
- Staff Report and Preliminary Recommendation (Sept. 11, 2026): the main document to read. See page 5 for how to comment.
- Proposed changes to the Bay Plan (Appendix 1): the exact wording of the amendment.
- Supporting analysis (Appendices 2 through 4): technical background, review of impacts on public access and use, and environmental review.
Timeline
|
Date |
What happened or will happen |
|
May 7, 2026 |
Commission voted to initiate the amendment |
|
June 4, 2026 |
Public workshop on policy development |
|
July 7, 2026 |
Commissioner working group reviewed workshop feedback |
|
August 13, 2026 |
Environmental Justice Advisors discussed the project |
|
September 11, 2026 |
Staff report and draft policies released; comment period opened |
|
October 15, 2026 |
Public hearing |
Background and past meetings information:
- Feedback from the June 4 public workshop helped shape the staff recommendation. Poster materials from the workshop: Navigation/Dredging Policies, Upland Soil Policies, Channel and Streambed Policies, Action Plan Brainstorm, Funding/Financing Brainstorm, Restoration Incentive Brainstorm.
- A BCDC staff presentation summarizing feedback received at the June 4th policy development workshop. Presented at a meeting of the Sediment and Beneficial Reuse Commissioner Working Group.
- Commission Initiation Staff Report – April 24, 2026
- BCDC Staff Presentation Initiating BPA 1-26 – May 7, 2026
- Brief Descriptive Notice and Notice of Public Hearing – May 8, 2026
- Revised Descriptive Notice and Notice of Public Hearing – August 7, 2026
- BCDC staff Environmental Justice Advisors presentation on the SWAP and Bay Plan Amendment 1-26.
SWAP Project Materials
- Project factsheet
- Project timeline
- Sediment 101: A short summary of the Bay’s sediment dynamics, needs, and opportunities
- Sediment and Soil Beneficial Reuse Action Plan for Wetland Restoration and Adaptation
- Article (March 26, 2025): BCDC releases action plan to advance wetland restoration through beneficial reuse of sediment and soil
- Annotated bibliography to support the SWAP Action Plan
- Previous meetings of the Sediment and Beneficial Reuse Commissioner Working Group
Contacts
Rachel Cohen, Coastal Planner
415-352-3661
rachel.cohen@bcdc.ca.gov
Brenda Goeden, Sediment Program Manager
415-352-3623
brenda.goeden@bcdc.ca.gov