Be very cautious of rising water, eroding shoreline, flooded roadways, and high winds during any extreme high tide events.
Left: View from the Del Norte Street Pier in Eureka.
On Jan. 1 & 2, the highest tides of 2017-18 are predicted to reach 8.5’ at the North Spit (and could be higher depending on rainfall, atmospheric pressure, and wind). Above-average high tides will also occur on Dec. 5 (8.4'). By capturing images of these extreme high tides, scientists and planners hope to gain insight into how rising sea levels will impact coastal areas in the future. The King Tides Photo Initiative is a great opportunity for Citizen Scientists to contribute to a long-term dataset, while helping inform residents and decisionmakers about the need to plan for the coming changes to our natural and built environments.
Recommended locations to observe high tides include Halvorsen Park and the F Street boardwalk in Eureka, Woodley Island, the Mad River Slough Bridge on Highway 255 in Manila, Liscom Slough on Jackson Ranch Road in Arcata, Fields Landing and King Salmon. The tide levels in these locations vary in both height and peak time - check out NOAA’s tide predictions.
Photos from past years' King Tides are online at the Humboldt Bay King Tides Photo Initiative album.
For more info on shoreline vulnerability, inundation maps, and related issues, visit the Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project website at www.http://humboldtbay.org.