King Tide Draws Tourism and Trouble
If you live near any kind of water, be it a small creek or the Columbia River, you will find the water level rises in the winter. Many things affect this, mainly heavy rains, or snow melting from the hills, causing the water to run into surrounding streams.
For the ocean, the tides also just change year-round, due to the moon’s gravitational pull on the sea. During winter, when the moon is closer to the earth in our Northern Hemisphere, the tides become more extreme, with the low tide being lower than normal, and the high tide being higher. This change in tide can cause a phenomenon called a “king tide,” which is an exceptionally high tide. This special event usually lasts the same time any tide would, pouring in and then receding back.
The high tide surge can be an interesting thing to view for yourself, seeing truly how impressive the ocean can be – but on the other side of the coin is the extreme damage this can cause. Coastal flooding and erosion can be devastating to some areas, especially with the rising sea level now due to climate change.
Another dangerous side effect is simply just the behavior of humans. While all beaches are closed (literally underwater) when the tide is dangerously high, when the tide recedes people gain false confidence, thinking it is perfectly fine to continue their beach activities. This can be hazardous when the water brings in stray driftwood, trees, and other debris, creating new obstacles that can directly harm people or obstruct their views of any unsuspected, larger waves.
However wild the ocean can act, humans will always find a way to want to step into the enclosure – the sea’s arena, so to speak. Along the Oregon coast, there is a group effort called the Oregon King Tides Project, presented by The Coast Watch and Oregon Coastal Management Program. This project is used to spread information about the king tides, providing a tide map and the best places to observe the tides, as well as hosting an annual photography competition.
The Project website, oregonkingtides.net, states, “Understanding and documenting the extent and impacts of especially high tide events is one way to highlight the need to prepare for the effects of future climate conditions.” The vessel for the group’s message is the website photo gallery, which has coastal erosion, comparisons and hazards, and aerial views boldly displayed.
I visited Depoe Bay, south of Lincoln City, Oregon, on Nov. 16, just around 11 a.m. (the peak of the tide) and was shocked to see just how many people were there to see it. Just outside of the proclaimed “world’s smallest harbor,” the waves crashed into the concrete seawall, splashing seawater over the spectators and cars passing by. Out of hundreds of people watching the ocean, there were probably 50 people with high-end camera setups, looking for the best shot. I asked a few of the folks shooting why they were there, and I got some varied answers. Some were there for the photography contest, some were there simply to document the spectacle, and some just simply thought it was beautiful.
On top of the surge of waves of sea water, the waves of people flooding in to watch the event leads to more business in the coastal area. Depoe Bay has several small gift shops, restaurants, and whale watching spots in the town, which thrives off of tourism. Asked how they felt about the king tide’s arrival, shop owner “Leah” said they’ve seen the water splash up to the storefront, about 50 feet away from the sea wall.
“Sometimes (tourists) don’t know how to act around it (the high tide) and it causes a lot of problems. The Coast Guard is on high alert for the whole time,” Leah said. “But other than that, (I) can’t complain about the shoppers.”
People often underestimate just how powerful the ocean is and hardly fear it enough. That said, seeing the waves splash against the highway bridge in Depoe Bay or seeing the rolling tides from a hotel in Lincoln City is still a really cool event to watch.
Look out for the next time the king tide can be observed on the Oregon Coast!
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