Final, Dramatic Round of King Tides for Oregon / Washington Coast: Photogs Needed

Published 01/08/21 at 4:41 PM PDT - Updated 01/08/21 at 4:48 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – The final set of king tides for the Oregon coast and the Washington coast are coming up on January 11 – 13, bringing massive waves to just about every beach and harbor in the region. From Brookings, Gold Beach, Coos Bay, Florence to Lincoln City, Seaside and up through Westport and La Push, it means an army of volunteers help document the highest point reached by these highest of tides. (Above: king tides at Yachats, courtesy Rena Olson)

Both states have their own version of the King Tides Project. In Oregon, it’s coordinated by the CoastWatch Program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, and the Oregon Coastal Management Program, a branch of the Department of Land Conservation and Development. From modest beginnings in 2010, the project has grown to the point that more than 100 volunteer photographers contributed more than 400 photos to the project’s archives last winter. Anyone with a camera or cell phone can participate.

Along the Washington coast and inner seas, it’s put together by Washington Sea Grant and University of Washington. Along the inlet seas of Washington the king tides are January 13 – 15.

Rockaway Beach at King Tides, courtesy Lawrence Soto.

Anyone with a camera or cell phone can participate.

With each winter, there are three sets of high tides that coincide with the moon at its closest point to the Earth, as well as some interaction with the sun. This gravitational pull causes higher-than-normal tides.

The goal of this citizen science project is to encourage those visitors to the Oregon and Washington coastlines to submit photos they take of the king tides to help track sea level rise over time and reveal its impacts on both shorelines.

Photographers are also encouraged to snap shots of these same areas not just at king tides but at normal tidal situations as well. This allows a comparison. The hundreds of photos they take reveal current vulnerabilities to flooding. Even more important, they help scientists visualize and understand the coming impacts of sea level rise (such as flooding and erosion) to coastal communities.

To get a better view of the project, browse the Oregon king tides photo albums by season: https://www.flickr.com/photos/orkingtide/albums. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand and help to document how sea level rise may impact places in our own communities.

For the Washington coast, the King Tides submission site is https://mycoast.org/wa where you can also download the app to upload your shots.

For Oregon’s coastline, use www.oregonkingtides.net.

At both sites you can browse the insane images of flooding and beaches being overrun in each state.

For Washington coast king tides table see this link.

For Oregon coast tide tables use www.oregonkingtides.net.

Great caution is urged while shooting these natural wonders: many areas will be unusually dangerous due to extreme swells. The region is looking at a run of high seas offshore as well, which will be exacerbating the high waves. More photos below

 See Oregon Coast Weather - Washington Coast Weather

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Above: courtesy Seaside Aquarium. Below: courtesy Oregon State Parks, showing Lincoln City's D River access awash in heavy wave action

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