Shoalwater Bay Tribe: A Community’s Journey to Higher Ground
For nearly two decades, Red Plains has partnered with the Shoalwater Bay Tribe to navigate one of the most significant and transformative community development efforts in its history. Recognizing the immediate threats of tsunamis, rising sea levels, and the long-term impacts of climate change, the Tribe has taken bold steps to ensure the safety, sustainability, and future prosperity of its people by relocating to higher ground.
This complex, multi-jurisdictional initiative has required extensive planning, funding acquisition, and collaboration across disciplines—including engineering, geotechnical analysis, environmental planning, transportation infrastructure, and architectural design. Red Plains has been privileged to serve as a steadfast partner in this journey, providing strategic support across over 50 projects in planning, GIS, grant writing, transportation safety, and technical assistance, all aligned with the Tribe’s vision for the future.
Early hazard mitigation plans underscored the urgency of action, and through years of dedicated partnership, the Tribe has strategically expanded its upland properties, ensuring a responsible and culturally informed transition. Today, the project encompasses over 10 miles of multimodal transportation infrastructure, essential utilities, and five phased neighborhoods, ultimately providing 180 homes and three community service centers to house vital tribal programs.
Through this work, we have witnessed the Tribe’s unwavering commitment to its cultural values and its ability to lead transformational change. Key lessons have emerged:
Upholding cultural identity and core project principles is essential in every decision.
Collaboration, consultation, and coordination—internally and externally—drive success.
Strategic planning, realistic cost forecasting, and responsible development sustain long-term viability.
A strong team of subject matter experts, alongside internal capacity building, amplifies impact.
A flexible, phased master plan enables adaptation to funding opportunities without losing sight of the end goal.
Shoalwater Bay has been more than a client—it has been a place of learning, reflection, and shared purpose. As Red Plains’ owner, Chris Robideau, has often expressed, if you are quiet enough and truly listen, you can feel the deep connection to the land, its people, and the generations who have come before.
Our work with the Tribe has gone beyond technical expertise; it has been about supporting a vision for resilience, self-determination, and a sustainable future. Through extensive grant writing, master planning, safety plans, hydrologic and wetland studies, transportation engineering, and engagement with local, state, regional, and federal stakeholders, we have remained dedicated to empowering Shoalwater Bay’s leadership in shaping its own destiny.
As part of this commitment, we also support the Shoalwater Bay Tribe in establishing and maintaining the Regional Partnership Gatherings—a pioneering consortium that unites over 30 partners across government and industry to drive collaboration and innovation for the region.
Red Plains remains honored to be part of this extraordinary journey. The Shoalwater Bay Tribe has demonstrated resilience, vision, and leadership, not just for its own people, but as a model for other communities facing similar challenges. We are committed to standing alongside the Tribe as it continues to build a thriving, sustainable future—one that honors its past, protects its present, and paves the way for generations to come.
