Experience King Tides

Learn about future sea level rise

Saturday, January 11 in Westport

and

Wednesday, January 15 in Bellingham

King tides are the annual extreme-high tides that occur when the moon is closest to Earth. They are a dramatic feature of Washington winters – and are a glimpse of what our future in Western Washington may look like as sea levels rise. Two public events presented by Washington Sea Grant offer an opportunity to learn about king tides and the latest sea level rise projections in Washington.

The event is also an opportunity to help scientists, managers and planners visualize the changes coming to coastal Washington by taking photos on your smart phone and uploading them to the MyCoast app. During the event, experts will answer questions about king tides, sea level rise, and how community members can participate in raising awareness and building resilience. Hot coffee and snacks will be provided.

Event Information:

King tides viewing party in Westport

When: Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.

Where: Westport Viewing Tower, by the Westport Marina at the intersection of Westhaven Drive and Cove Avenue

King tides viewing party in Bellingham

When: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.

Where: Boulevard Park — north end of the park near the stage

If you can’t make one of the events, you can still experience king tides by finding the dates and times of predicted tides are on the Washington Sea Grant king tides calendar. Download the MyCoast app to help document king tides from anywhere in the state.

Learn more: Sea level rise is a real concern for homeowners, tribes, government planners and communities living near the shore. The King Tides program assists scientists, managers, planners and communities as they attempt to visualize and plan for the changes coming to coastal regions around Western Washington. The Washington Coastal Resilience Program is a group of state partners collaborating with local jurisdictions to help communities further prepare for future sea level rise. The group recently published a report documenting what shorelines will look like in the next 50 years. To find out how much sea levels could rise in a specific community, visit the Washington Coastal Resilience website — and check the report’s current sea level rise projections.

The King Tides program is a partnership between Washington Sea Grant and Washington Department of Ecology.

Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, provides statewide marine research, outreach, and education services, helping people understand and address the challenges facing our ocean and coasts. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. www.wsg.washington.edu.