Cargo Way

Since 2017, the Port has connected with tens of thousands of community members through the Waterfront Resilience Program. 

Public feedback collected about Cargo Way underscores the importance of maintaining industrial jobs available in the neighborhood through such facilities as the cement plants while protecting nearby wetlands. Additional community feedback highlighted housing, improved transportation service, jobs and small business opportunities, and parks and open spaces as top priorities.  

The Port has joined SF Planning and SFMTA to conduct an adaptation planning process in the Islais Creek area. The team worked with the community to come up with the  following goals , that establish community priorities for the area.

Further feedback highlights additional community priorities, including opportunities to:

• Address sea level rise.
• Enhance shoreline access.

Community feedback also helped identify places in Cargo Way that people love, including:

• The Pier 94 wetlands, a small salt marsh that developed after a portion of the fill material used to build Pier 94 subsided and became subject to tidal inundation. Though small, these wetlands provide rare and valuable habitat in this industrialized area. 
• Bayview Gateway Park and skate park.

Additionally, community members identified critical assets and services such as: 

• T-Third Muni Metro line service that provides transit connections to other areas of the City. 
• Fire Station 25.

Click on the blue dots to learn more about each place.

The Port, in collaboration with City partners and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is taking steps to better understand the different seismic and flood risk along its 7.5-mile bayside jurisdiction. Recent efforts include:

• Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment
• Flood Resiliency Study (with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
• Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequences Assessment (City of San Francisco)
• Islais Creek Adaptation Strategy (with SF Planning, SFMTA, and SFPUC)
• Initial Southern Waterfront Seismic Study
• Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment

Scroll down to learn more about the seismic and flood risks in Cargo Way based on these findings.

Improving the seismic safety of the waterfront is a top priority of the Waterfront Resilience Program. See the  Seismic and Flood Risk 101  page to learn more about the history of earthquakes in the Bay Area and San Francisco’s commitment to improving seismic safety.

The Cargo Way subarea is located on bay fill that was once open water, wetlands, and mudflats. It sits downstream of Islais Creek in an area that was industrialized during the Gold Rush. In the early 1800s, Islais Creek was the largest city tributary that drained the bay into the Islais Estuary, a tidal marsh and mudflat area also known as Islais Swamp. The quality of the creek started to decline in the industrialization of the mid-1800s. The creek was filled with debris from the 1906 earthquake and reduced to its current size.  

The mouth of the creek where it met the bay was almost one mile across prior to the fill that was dumped there to eliminate debris and create land. Quality of the creek started to decline with the industrialization of the mid-1800s. It was reduced to its current size when the creek was filled with debris from the 1906 earthquake.

Areas developed on bay fill are more prone to seismic risks and impacts from large earthquakes. Keep scrolling to find out why. 

Liquefaction is an unique phenomenon that happens when water-saturated sediment (like sand) temporarily loses strength and acts as a fluid. Imagine jumping on wet sand near the water at the beach until it turns soft and your feet sink in.

Liquefaction is caused by strong ground shaking during an earthquake and is greater in areas with sandy soils. As a result of liquefaction, buildings, roads and utility lines may lose their foundational support and the likelihood of significant damage increases. Liquefaction of the soil behind the Seawall will also increase the risk of lateral spreading along the shoreline.

The map shows the Cargo Way subarea liquefaction risk rated as: Very High (dark red). This is because this subarea is built entirely on bay fill.

Liquefaction can also increase the risk of lateral spreading, which is when gently sloping ground starts to move downhill, causing cracks to open up. Lateral spreading is a seismic hazard that causes large areas of land to move, typically toward a body of water. This results in potentially large cracks and settlement at the ground surface, resembling a landslide but on relatively flat ground.

Seismic analysis for Cargo Way will be completed as part of the Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment, which will:

• Examine potential earthquake hazards and vulnerabilities along the waterfront between Mission Creek and Heron’s Head Park.
• Recommend areas for further analysis and produce a conceptual list of potential seismic mitigation measures.

Further information about the potential seismic hazards and vulnerability of Cargo Way will be included in the Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment. This assessment will not be at the same level as the recently completed  Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment  (MHRA) under the Embarcadero Seawall Program. It will be used as part of the Port’s work to better understand the waterfront risks of the entire 7.5 miles in its jurisdiction. 

Liquefaction can also increase the risk of lateral spreading, which is when gently sloping ground starts to move downhill, causing cracks to open up. Lateral spreading is a seismic hazard that causes large areas of land to move, typically toward a body of water. This results in potentially large cracks and settlement at the ground surface, resembling a landslide but on relatively flat ground. 

Interested in learning more about what the Port is considering to improve seismic safety along the waterfront? Visit the  Measures Explorer  page to read about specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront in the event of earthquakes.

The Port and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have partnered to study flood risk along San Francisco’s bayside shoreline. The Flood Resiliency Study is one of several federal, state, and local collaborations to help the Port increase resilience along the San Francisco shoreline. 

Launched in Fall 2018, the approximately three- to five-year Flood Resiliency Study will identify vulnerabilities and identify recommended strategies to reduce current and future flood risks for consideration by the Assistant Secretary of the Army and the U.S. Congress for federal investment and implementation.

The Port, SF Planning Department, and SFMTA have partnered with Caltrans to study adaptation strategies in response to flooding and Sea Level Rise. Launched in 2018, the Islais Creek Adaptation Strategy will identify landscape and infrastructure solutions that also align with community goals.

Scroll down to see the different risks and impacts for Cargo Way when considering various scenarios for flooding and sea level rise. The flood maps presented here are from the  Adapting to Rising Tides Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer .

Overtopping is when water, usually in the form of storm surge or a wave, can reach over the shoreline and cause inland flooding. In general, overtopping of natural shorelines such as wetlands and beaches occurs at a lower flood elevation than overtopping of engineered shorelines such as seawalls, bulkheads, and wharves.

Red lines shown on the map indicate where overtopping begins to occur with 48 inches of sea level rise, or 7 inches of sea level rise combined with a 100-year coastal flood event. 

Within the Cargo Way subarea, overtopping first occurs over a short stretch of the engineered Islais Creek shoreline near the Pier 94 wetlands. Floodwater can extend into Pier 92 (the bulk cargo and cement operations) and the Intermodal Cargo Transfer Facility, which moves cargo between the Port facilities, the railroad, and heavy trucks. 

Learn more below about how flooding and future sea level rise is likely to impact Cargo Way.

A tipping point is reached when the impacts of a flood go beyond a certain area, creating cascading consequences that can have citywide or regional ramifications. Damage is more than can be immediately addressed and affects critical assets and the community. The Port and the City use the concept of a tipping point to understand when planning for large-scale shoreline adaptation projects is necessary and which site-specific approaches to flood risk reduction may be overwhelmed. Understanding tipping points and how they vary along the waterfront can also help compare and prioritize projects along the waterfront. 

Cargo Way reaches a critical tipping point with 52 inches of sea level rise, or 11 inches of sea level rise combined with a 100-year coastal flood event. In this situation, overtopping would:

• Occur over a longer stretch of non-engineered shoreline near the Pier 94 wetlands.
• Occur along the shoreline between and adjacent to the 3rd Street and 4th Street bridges, causing more extensive inundation within the subarea.
• Flood the 3rd Street / Cargo Way Triangle, disrupting heavy traffic through the subarea
• Begins to impact the Booster Pump Station, which serves the Southeast Treatment Plant and conveys treated wastewater and stormwater from the treatment plant to the bay through the Southeast Bay Outfall. 
• Impacts Fire Station 25 and a portion of Illinois Street, impacting response times for nearby emergencies. 
• Floods the T-Third Muni Metro line and Muni backlands on 3rd street near the 3rd street Bridge, disrupting transit. 
• Impacts several open spaces along the Islais Creek shoreline, including Islais Creek Park, Bayview Gateway Park / Rosa Parks Skate Plaza, Fireman’s Park, and a portion of the Bay Trail.

This map shows the flood impacts for Cargo Way when considering the City’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone.

The City’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone covers areas that will likely face future flooding and inundation in a 100-year coastal flood combined with 66 inches of sea level rise. This is one of the high-end scenarios projected by the end of the century. Projects within the Zone must include sea level rise adaptation strategies to support the increased resilience of San Francisco’s communities, but they are not usually required to build that level of flood risk reduction now. Rather, they must demonstrate approaches to adapt to that flood level at a later time.

Under this scenario, about 75 percent of the Cargo Way subarea could be flooded if flood protection or adaptation actions are not implemented. 

The Port and the City are also considering the H++ Scenario in the  State of California’s most recent Sea Level Rise Guidance  (2018). The H++ Scenario (shown in magenta) represents the area that could be inundated by 2100 if global ice sheets melt much faster than currently anticipated.

Interested in learning more about what the Port is considering to mitigate flooding and sea level rise? Visit the  Measures Explorer  page to read about specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront.

Given the potential impacts of earthquakes, flooding, and future sea level rise, what’s at stake in Cargo Way?

The following maps detail important maritime cargo functions, cargo-related industry, disaster response resources, transportation services, maritime industries, public utilities, and parks located in Cargo Way.

Industrial operations and jobs, including Pier 92's industrial and cargo shipping facilities, will be impacted by higher water levels as well as movement of goods from this subarea. Similarly, future flooding and sea level rise will disrupt public transportation access and roadways, meaning residents who live nearby may not be able to get where they need to go and connect to the rest of the city. There also are environmental challenges due to industrial use in this area.

Keep scrolling to learn more about how particular places and services in Cargo Way could be impacted by these risks.

In the event of a natural disaster, the Cargo Way subarea includes a number of facilities and services important for response and recovery. 

In addition to Fire Station 25 being located here, the Cargo Way subarea is part of San Francisco’s Emergency Firefighting Water System infrastructure, including:

• A fireboat manifold where a fireboat can connect and pump bay water directly into the city’s fire suppression distribution lines for high-pressure use at inland fire hydrants. 
• Two suction connections along the shoreline where fire engines can connect and draw bay water for fire suppression. 

Pier 92 is a designated deep draft berth and staging area; the adjacent backlands serve as a staging area and temporary debris storage site. Cargo Way is connected to the city through Illinois Street, a major heavy truck route that is important for moving goods and services. Illinois Street also connects to the San Francisco Bay Railroad, which can be used to haul away debris after a disaster and for providing support and materials for recovery efforts and reconstruction. 

Cemex and Central concrete batch plants produce up to 875,000 cubic yards of concrete each year. This construction material will be critical to San Francisco’s recovery following a disaster. Major infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, and public utilities may require rapid repair that would be facilitated by these operations.

Click on the yellow dots on the map to learn more about disaster response services in Cargo Way.

Transportation within the Cargo Way subarea includes both major roadways that help keeping industrial operations going and public transit. Key transportation aspects include:

• Third Street and Illinois Street as primary roadways. 
• Public transit from the T-Third Mun Metro line.
• San Francisco Bay Railroad, which hauls soils and cargo that can be transferred to the Union Pacific Railroad, a national service that connects to 23 states. It can also be used to remove materials after a disaster. However, rail is particularly sensitive to flooding because trains cannot operate with even minimal flooding, and flooding in one section can shut down an entire network. 

The San Francisco Bay Trail also runs through Cargo Way as a key route to Heron's Head Park.

Click the blue dots of the map to explore the transportation network options that help get people to, from, and around Cargo Way.

Maritime operations and facilities located in Cargo Way include: 

• The Intermodal Cargo Transfer Facility that can help transfer cargo between freights, such as ship, rail, and truck. (Also in the  Piers 94 and 96  subarea) 
• The Port’s primary Maritime Maintenance Facility and maritime industrial terminal at Pier 90.
• Industrial and cargo ship loading capabilities to support the dry bulk marine terminal and concrete batch plants at Pier 92.

Click on blue dots to learn more about the maritime facilities and services in Cargo Way. 

Draft guiding principles of the Waterfront Resilience Program include creating opportunities to enhance and expand open space, increasing free public access to the waterfront, restoring habitats, and offering education.

While industrial, the Cargo Way subarea does offer some public amenities and open spaces. Community favorites include:

• The San Francisco Bay Trail, a 500-mile waterfront walking and cycling path around the entire bay that runs through all nine counties, and Blue Greenway, the City’s project to improve its southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail.
• Fireman’s Park, Islais Creek Park and Gateway Park / Rosa Parks Skate Park.
• Pier 94 wetlands, a small salt marsh that was developed after a portion of the fill material used to build Pier 94 subsided and became subject to tidal inundation. Although small, the wetlands are now home to over 168 species of birds.

Click the green dots on the map to learn more about the public sites, open parks, and waterfront spaces in Cargo Way.

San Francisco’s neighborhoods and businesses rely on buried and above ground infrastructure, such as wastewater and stormwater pipelines, power lines, and water distribution pipelines.

Utilities that are located in and run through Cargo Way include:

• The Booster Pump Station, which serves the Southeast Treatment Plant. It conveys treated wastewater and stormwater from the plant to the bay through the Southeast Bay Outfall with a pumping capacity of 110 million gallons per day.
• Buried wastewater and stormwater sewer pipes.

Click the gray dots on the map to learn more about the city’s major utility infrastructure.

Currently, there are no current historic assets located within the Cargo Way subarea. However, Fire Station 25, Pier 90, and Pier 92 are eligible for historic designation. 

After assessing community priorities and specific seismic and flood risk in this subarea, the Port and its partners, including the City, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other key stakeholders, are currently reviewing potential strategies for addressing these challenges and adapting the waterfront to reduce risks and meet the needs, priorities, and visions of the community over time. The Port has begun to identify measures, or specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront in the face of earthquakes, flooding, and future sea level rise. Visit the  Measures Explorer  to learn more.

A preliminary seismic assessment for the subareas between  Mission Creek  and  Heron’s Head  will be completed as part of the Initial Southern Waterfront Seismic Study.

Thank you for reviewing the Cargo Way Waterfront Resilience Story Map. To view more detailed information about this subarea, click on the technical documents below.

•  Subarea Profile 
•  Flood Risk Profiles 
•  Problems, Opportunities, Objectives, Constraints, and Considerations (POOCC) Fact Sheet