Oregon King Tides Watch

The Oregon King Tides Project invites onlookers to participate in photo documentation of the King Tide phenomenon and enter their images in a photo contest. Photos will be used in King Tide annual impact analysis. To get the best photos for comparisons, find places with familiar natural landmarks, buildings, bridges, or shorelines.

Learn more about King Tides and the photo contest virtually on December 5 at 6 p.m. — please register online.

“King Tides” occur during specific alignment of the earth with the moon and sun. The extreme high tides make for dramatic ocean and storm watching, but please be careful at all viewing points — be prepared for unexpected wave heights and unexpected reach, never turn your back on the ocean, and stay off rocks and away from vulnerable shorelines. King tides are expected along the Oregon Coast December 22-24, and January 20-22. See website for a tide map to plan your outings to view this natural annual event. Local observation points include the Siuslaw River entrance in Florence and high points along the coast line.

The Oregon King Tides Project aims to draw attention to, educate about, and document the changing effects that extreme tide events have on our shores and our infrastructures on those shores. King Tides are the highest annual winter tides. Their frequency and effect could continue to increase because of rising sea levels.