It's that time again, Nov 14th-16th, Dec 12th-15th, and January 10th-12th the King Tides return with the highest tides of 2015-2016. The King Tide photo initiative is an international effort which aims to document flooded areas through citizen photography during the highest tides of the year. Like snapshots into the future, the photos and documentation will help us better visualize and plan for coastal communities susceptible to sea level rise, coastal flooding and hazards.
You can help document the impacts of rising sea levels. Winter storms and king tides offer a glimpse of what flooding and erosion due to future sea level rise will look like in our coastal communities.
Oregon King Tides Photo Project is a community based science effort launched in 2011 to document the highest winter tides of the year, beach erosion, and coastal flooding.
Please join us by taking and sharing photographs (#orkingtides) of this winter’s especially high tides. Need more information? Check out the Oregon King Tide website.
What is the King Tide Photo Project?
The King Tide Photo Project is an international project designed to involve everyone in documenting areas inundated by the highest tides that occur each year. These highest high tides are often called “king tides.” King tides are normally occurring events caused by predictable astronomical factors that result in tides that are higher than most high tides. Areas affected by these king tides are susceptible to higher water levels from increased wave heights, winter storms and changes in sea levels. The photo project is supported by the CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition and Surfrider Foundation, as well as the Oregon Coastal Management Program.
When will these tides occur?
The projected highest tides this winter on Oregon’s coast :
• Nov. 14-16, 2016
• Dec. 12-15, 2016
• Jan. 10-14, 2017
Find tide heights and times here.
How do I take part?
Go to the Oregon King Tide website to find everything you need to participate in this initiative! Just Pick a place, Click a photo and Share it on line .
If you are out on the coast or in an estuary for work or for fun during the king tides, please be sure to snap a quick photo and share it with us!
What makes a good king tide photo?
• Photos that show waters levels adjacent to a fixed feature like a piling, seawall or bridge abutment. Including fixed features will allow actual water levels to be documented and tracked over time.
• Photos also must include the location, date and time the photo was taken, and the viewer’s direction for each picture.
• Two photos taken from the same spot, one during the king tide and the other at a typical high tide are also very effective in highlighting these high water events.
• Photos in and around estuaries are especially important, as those low-lying areas tend to experience the most impact.
Pass it On!
We want to get as many people as we can up and down the coast to upload photographs of this winter’s king tides!