The California King Tides Project help people visualize how sea level rise will impact their lives.  Via smartphones and social media, we invite you to document “king tides” – the highest high tides of today, which will be the average water levels of the future. Everyone is welcome to participate!

Our shores are constantly being altered by human and natural processes and projections indicate that sea level rise will exacerbate these changes.  King Tides images offer a living record of the changes to our coasts and shorelines and a glimpse of what our daily tides may look like in the future as a result of sea level rise.

2015/2016 King Tides Season Dates

• November 24, 25, and 26, 2015
• December 22, 23, and 24, 2015
• January 21 and 22, 2016

Find below a few king tides related event happening around us.

Coffee & King Tides at CuriOdyssey
Time: 11/24 at 9:30AM
Join SMC Supervisor Pine and Supervisor Groom for a king tides coffee break! Meet inside the CuriOdyssey museum for coffee and conversation on tides, El Niño, and sea level rise before our Bayside walk and photo shoot. Bring your travel mug and camera! High tide is at 10:16 AM
Contact: Hilary Papendick, County of San Mateo, Climate Resilience Specialist, 650-363-4194

Coffee & King Tides at Surfer’s Beach
Time: 11/24 at 9:00AM
Surfer’s Beach, adjacent to Highway 1 and Pillar Point Harbor. Meet SMC Supervisor Don Horsley and HMB Mayor Marina Fraser for coffee and views of the high-tide from the CA Coastal Trail at Surfer’s Beach near Pillar Point Harbor. Bring your travel mug and camera!
Contact: Deborah Hirst, Legislative Aide, Supervisor Don Horsley, dhirst@smcgov.org, (650) 599-1019

Climate change, sea level rise, and king tides

Increases in global sea levels have been recorded by NOAA tide gauges for many years, and more recent observations have been collected by NASA satellites. The steady rise in sea levels has been attributed to both a warming expansion of the oceans and contributions from melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets. Climate modeling combined with these direct observations suggest sea level rise will continue well into the future with significant implications for California’s coastal communities. During extreme high tide events, we can get an idea of what a permanent rise in sea level might look like in our communities.

More on California King Tides Project.