MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA — Martinez is temporarily closing marina parking areas and limiting shoreline access Wednesday as unusually high tides threaten to flood parts of the waterfront.
The city is asking people to avoid the marina and shoreline on five dates between now and January. Parking lots and walkways could flood or become inaccessible, according to a city notice.
When the waterfront closures are planned
The dates are Wednesday, Oct. 28; Wednesday, Nov. 25; Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 23 and 24; and Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027.
If a waterfront visit is part of your plans on any of those days, choose another destination or arrange parking away from the marina. The notice does not give closure hours or identify every affected walkway, so visitors should follow signs and barriers on site.
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Why the water is running so high
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood advisory for shoreline areas along San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay through 6 p.m. Saturday. It says as much as 1.9 feet of water above ground level is possible in some low-lying areas, with flooding of infrastructure and isolated road closures among the risks.
High water is a familiar problem at this waterfront. In a July 2025 news release about the marina’s future, Martinez said sea level rise had contributed to frequent flooding. The city also described marina facilities built in the 1960s as having exceeded their useful life.
For now, the immediate message is pretty straightforward stay away from the marina and shoreline on the city’s listed high-water dates, and never drive around a barricade or into water whose depth you cannot judge. The city is posting storm-season information at cityofmartinez.org/storm.
We’ll keep following the waterfront closures and other local impacts of the high tides. Sign up for the free 925 News newsletter for updates.
