Public Asked for Help on Oregon Coast High Tides Project

Published 02/11/2011

(Oregon Coast) – It's called The King Tide Photo project and it wants your help. The MidCoast Watersheds Council (MCWC) is partnering with Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition to encourage people to participate in an upcoming photography project that aims to help identify areas of Oregon’s shoreline that are most vulnerable to tides and erosion (above: Cannon Beach's Hug Point at night, with what can look like a high tide).

The public is asked to photograph the effects of some enormous high tides coming up this week, called “king tides” – which happen February 16 to 19.

Newport's south jetty

This will also preview what Oregonians might experience regularly in the future as a result of rising sea levels.

Oregon is joining other west coast states to participate in a “King Tide” photo initiative to document these seasonally high tides. To find out more about the project and how to participate, visit this Coastal Management Program website.

The entire Oregon coast will be experiencing these king tides. but Newport will have a special viewing event on February 22 – a week after the tides.

“The King Tide Photo Project is an ideal, hands-on way for the public to participate and document how factors such as sea level rise might affect their watershed,” said Lisa Mulcahy, MCWC Yaquina Basin Planning Team Coordinator.

You can share photographs of the high tides in February by joining Oregon's King Tide Initiative Flickr group and uploading your photographs of high tide levels. The MCWC said the best way to photograph these is by showing tide levels and areas that are inundated, in particular areas where water levels can be gauged against sea walls, jetties, bridge supports, dikes, buildings, roads or other infrastructure or features

Depoe Bay

“Photos would be especially useful if someone stood in the foreground of the photo holding a range pole in direct contact with both the water surface and a measurable and clearly visible horizontal surface, like the top of a deck or piling,” said Mulcahy. “It's easy to make a range pole by painting or taping (with waterproof, electrical tape or duct tape) a broomstick or longer pole with alternating bands of black and white at 1-foot increments.”

Highest tides happen around 10:30 a.m. on the coast on February 16, at around noon on February 17 and 18, and at around 12:30 p.m. on February 19. Exact high tides differ greatly between locales – sometimes by more than an hour. So make you check www.oregoncoasttidetables.com for whatever area of the Oregon coast you’ll be at.

For example, the high tide at South Beach – the southern end of Newport – on February 16 is 10:14 a.m. But about 15 miles away and a ways inland, at Toledo, high tide will be 45 minutes later at 11:02 a.m.

Seaside's Necanicum River

MCWC will host a local photo viewing party following the “King Tide” at the Community Room (140) at the Newport Campus of Oregon Coast Community College on February 22 at 6:30 p.m. at 400 SE College Way in Newport. People can view their photos on the big screen, enjoy pizza and refreshments, and have an opportunity to share their thoughts and learn more.

For more details visit the Yaquina Watershed Council Facebook site or call Lisa Mulcahy at 541-264-0572. For more details visit the Yaquina Watershed Council Facebook site or call Lisa Mulcahy at 541-264-0572. Join the  King Tide Flickr group by signing up at
www.flickr.com/groups/oregonkingtides

Below: Yachats River

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