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King Tides Project wants citizen scientists to take pictures of high tides

These photos demonstrate a King Tide at Paddle Park in Toledo, OR. The top photo was taken during a standard high tide. The bottom photo was taken during a King Tide.
Oregon King Tides Photo Project
These photos demonstrate a King Tide at Paddle Park in Toledo, OR. The top photo was taken during a standard high tide. The bottom photo was taken during a King Tide.

Researchers are looking for volunteers to take photos of higher-than-usual tides expected on the Oregon Coast this weekend.

The so-called “King Tides” happen several times each winter and represent some of the highest tides experienced on the coast each year. The next round is coming up this Friday through Sunday.

For more than a decade, coastal management groups have solicited help from citizen scientists to snap photos of “King Tides” along beaches and estuaries. It’s yielded a trove of information about the potential impact of climate change, said Jesse Jones, the volunteer coordinator for CoastWatch.

“These photographs create a picture of what the rising seas will look like in the future,” she said.

Jones said more than 400 volunteers have been sending in photos in recent years. She said the best way to help is to take a picture during a normal high tide, and then a picture at the same place during a “King Tide.”

The Oregon King Tides Project is co-coordinated by the Oregon Coastal Management Program and the CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition.

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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