Pier 80

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

Public feedback collected about Pier 80 underscores the importance of jobs and workforce development and getting people where they need to go through increased public transit. 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:

• Protect and enhance public transit.
• Increase workforce development efforts.
• Develop parks, natural areas, and open spaces.
• Provide ecological benefits and access to the water.
• Preserve and enhance spaces and places for blue collar industries, small businesses, and artists.
• Prioritize ecological approaches to resilience building.

Community feedback also helped identify places at Pier 80 that people love, including:

• The Rafiki Coalition Health Center, which started as a community-based organization in 1986 as the Black Coalition on AIDS to respond to the urgent needs of a Black / Afrian American community being devastated by HIV / AIDS. Its original goal was to ensure Black people would receive appropriate services and be adequately represented in policy decisions. Services have expanded to provide a wide range of health services for HIV / AIDS, such as transitional housing, health education, advocacy, health case management and other health-promoting activities, and to serve the needs of the broader community of San Franciscans who have limited access to health and wellness services. 
• Small businesses, artist’s spaces, diverse jobs, and local business opportunities.
• Parks and open spaces.
• Critical facilities, such as the Third Street Bridge, the T-Third Muni Metro line, utilities, maritime and industrial lands and jobs, and access in and out of the subarea.

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 Pier 80 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 Pier 80 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 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 Pier 80 subarea liquefaction risk rated as: Very High (dark red) with small slivers rated as Very Low (yellow). Pier 80 is almost entirely entirely built 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 Pier 80 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 Pier 80 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.

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 Pier 80 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. 

Learn more below about how flooding or future sea level rise is likely to impact Pier 80.

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. 

Pier 80 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 at the Illinois Street Bridge would allow floodwaters to flow east and cause significant inundation of Pier 80, while overtopping near the Third Street Bridge would allow floodwaters to continue west into the  Islais Creek  subarea.
• Inundation of Pier 80 would impact operations of the City’s largest cargo pier that can directly load and unload materials from ships and then connect directly to railroad for further transportation and distribution of goods. These types of services are important for the city’s disaster response and recovery system. Due to the pier’s importance in this role, Pier 80 is considered highly vulnerable to temporary and permanent flooding. 
• FEMA’s unloading and staging abilities at Pier 80 would be limited. 
• A portion of the San Francisco Bay Railway, which hauls soils and cargo and can be used to remove materials after a disaster, would be inundated. 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.
• A portion of Illinois Street would be inundated. This roadway is a designated heavy truck route with direct connections to railroads and providing heavy truck access to Piers 90-96.

This map shows the flood impacts for Pier 80 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 Pier 80 subarea could flood. 

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 extreme sea level rise scenario of 10.2 feet and is not tied to any probability.

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 Pier 80?

The following maps detail important disaster response resources, transportation services, maritime industries, and public utilities located in Pier 80.

In this subarea, Port operations at Pier 80 will be impacted by higher water levels as well as movement of goods from Pier 80. 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 are also environmental challenges due to industrial use in this area.

Keep scrolling to learn more about how particular places and services in Pier 80 could be impacted by these risks.

In the event of a natural disaster, the 60-acre Pier 80 is included in FEMA’s emergency response plan as a location for staging and moving debris following a disaster. 

It also houses oil spill response equipment. Additional ways Pier 80 is connected to the City’s ability to respond to a disaster include:

• A connection to the San Francisco Bay Railroad, which can be used to remove materials after a disaster, would be inundated. 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.
• FEMA’s ability to provide disaster response and recovery services requires the use of Pier 80’s large vessel berth, which can be used to move supplies, equipment, and emergency crews. Other large vessels also use the large vessel berth at Pier 80.

Click on the yellow dots on the map to learn more about disaster response services at Pier 80.

Primary public transit in Pier 80 is provided by the T-Third Muni Metro line, the city’s newest light rail line which began full-time service in 2007. It runs along Third Street and offers important north-south transportation links to the broader Muni Metro system with a connection near Embarcadero and Third Street. 

Muni Metro East, which provides maintenance, operations, and storage for light rail vehicles and historic streetcars, is located within the Pier 80 subarea. System-wide impacts to the Muni transit system would occur if this facility is out of service for an extended period. 

Major nearby roadways include Illinois Street and Cargo Way, while the San Francisco Bay Railroad, which hauls soils and cargo that can be transferred to the national Union Pacific Railroad, operates in the area.  

The San Francisco Bay Trail also runs through Pier 80 as a key route.

With bicycle lanes, bus and trolley routes directly along the waterfront and throughout this area, South Beach has many transit amenities. 

Click the blue dots of the map to explore the transportation network options that help get people to, from, and around Pier 80.

Pier 80 is San Francisco’s largest cargo terminal and can support the direct unloading of materials from ships to shore and railroad. Pier 80 is considered a highly valuable maritime asset that is vulnerable to temporary and permanent flooding. 

Pier 80 is currently operated by PASHA to export approximately 100,000 automobiles a year. Operations at Pier 80 support local union waterfront jobs. Key infrastructure assets include four deep water berths, four cranes, and approximately 400,000 square feet of covered storage sheds.

Pier 80 is also part of the Port’s Maritime Eco-Industrial Strategy, an area that combines maritime industrial use with green design and green technology in ways that encourage economic opportunities for local residents while minimizing the environmental impact and promoting development of open space and wildlife habitat. 

Click on blue dots to learn more about the maritime facilities and services in Pier 80.

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.

Pier 80 offers some excellent public access to open spaces, including:

• The San Francisco Bay Trail runs along Illinois Street and is part of a 500-mile waterfront walking and cycling path around the entire bay. The trail runs through all nine counties and Blue Greenway, the City’s project to improve its southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail.
• Islais Creek northern shoreline open space. 
• Tulare park and Warm Water Cove park.

Pier 80 has been used for nesting Osprey and Falcons and small wetlands exist along the north and south shores of Islais Creek and Warmwater Cove. 

Click the green dots on the map to learn more about the public sites, open parks, and waterfront spaces in Pier 80. 

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. 

Key utilities located and operated within Pier 80 include:

• Channel force main, a 66-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe that connects the Channel pump station to the Southeast Treatment Plant located in the  Islais Creek  subarea. 
• Buried water supply pipes as well as buried wastewater and stormwater sewer pipes. 
• The Transbay Cable, which includes an electrical transmission cable together with a fiber optic communication cable. It runs along the bottom of San Francisco Bay from Pittsburg and connects to the Potrero Hill substation in the  Pier 70  subarea.

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

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 Pier 80 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