King Tides Presentation

South Jetty beach at Bandon, at high tide. | Photo by Rick Poecker.

The Surfrider Portland Chapter during its February Chapter Meeting will focus on the King Tides at UP North Surf Club (1229 North Killingsworth Street, Portland) from 7-9 p.m. These meetings are free and open to the public.

The guest speaker is Meg Reed, Coastal Shores Specialist at the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). Every winter, certain high tides in are higher than usual, due to the alignment of sun, moon, and earth; these extreme high tide events have come to be known as “king tides” (originally an Australian term).  The reach of these highest tides is being documented by volunteer photographers in Oregon and around the world to help visualize and understand the impacts of sea level rise (like flooding and erosion) in the coming decades. The Oregon branch of this international effort is organized byi CoastWatch and DLCD's Coastal Management Program; Surfirder is a co-sponsor this year. Reed will discuss the history of the project, how citizens can get involved, and what kinds of interesting photos we’ve seen over time. To find out more about the King Tides Photo Project, visit www.oregonkingtides.net.

Meg Reed is the Coastal Shores Specialist for Oregon’s Coastal Management Program based in Newport, OR. This position provides support to cities, counties, and state agencies on land use planning for coastal hazards. She leads coastal resilience projects with communities to address various natural hazards, including tsunami, and provides input on development proposals and permits affecting beach and dune areas. Meg also coordinates Oregon’s King Tides Photo Project. Meg’s educational background is in marine science, natural resource management, and science communication.