It’s that time again, October  27-29; November 24-27; and December 23-26 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.

Every year in early winter, high tides in Oregon are higher than usual. These extreme high tides, commonly called “King Tides,” occur at a few specific times during the year when the moon is closest to the Earth.

These tides are being documented to help visualize and understand the impacts of sea level rise in the coming decades. These are especially important to document in the winter when high winds and waves are more frequent, creating even higher water levels.

You are invited to participate in the project by taking pictures of areas impacted by this season’s king tides and sharing your photos on social media (#kingtides) or our Flickr page. Over time as the project continues, photos taken at the same locations year after year will help to show changing sea levels.  

Check out our great new application for exploring and uploading photos!