King Tides, Dec. 12

The King Tides are back. Your second chance in 2016 to catch (and capture) of glimpse of what the effects of rising sea levels will look like on the Oregon coast is coming up. The CoastWatch program, in partnership with Oregon Coastal Management Program and the Surfrider Foundation, invites the public to grab cameras and take to the beach during the second King Tide events of 2016, Dec. 12-15th. For the seventh year, this annual project is sponsored by the CoastWatch Program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, the Surfrider Foundation, and the Oregon Coastal Management Program. This is the Oregon branch of an international volunteer effort to record the year’s highest tides. (The idea began in Australia, where such events are known as “King Tides,” hence the name.)  Documenting the highest reach of the tides tells us something about areas of the natural and built environments which are subject to erosion and flooding now. It tells us even more about what to expect as sea level rises. Anyone capable of taking a photograph and able to get to the coast during the series of high tides can help by taking shots anywhere on the coast at the highest point of the tide on those days. These photos can focus on any feature. Those that show the location of the tide in relation to the built environment (roads, seawalls, buildings) are especially useful in demonstrating impending threats.  Subjects can be the outer coast, or estuaries and lower river valleys affected by tides. The ideal photo would be taken from a location where the photographer can return later at an ordinary high tide to take a comparison shot. Photographers are also encouraged to focus on iconic or easily recognizable locations and areas where the high water is impacting infrastructure in order to effectively highlight the effects of rising sea levels. Participants will post photographs online through the King Tide Photo Initiative website, http://www.oregonkingtides. net/ where project information and the online submission form can be accessed.  Be prepared to include the location, date, description, and direction of the photo. Photos can be directly uploaded here: http://geo.maps.arcgis.com/ apps/webappviewer/index.html? id= bb49225a50e44d2c8f0f374f31da98 f3