High Tides This Week Foreshadow Sea Level Rise in the Bay

Feb 15, 2011

Baykeeper helps document high tides in the Bay that can provide a preview of the impacts of sea level rise

Jason Flanders, (415) 856-0444 x106, cell (916) 202-3018, jason@baykeeper.org

This week some of the year’s highest tides will breach California’s coastal and bay shorelines, providing a glimpse of what the state can expect as sea level rises due to climate change. Baykeeper is helping to document the impacts of these so-called King Tides, which will occur from February 16 to 18, with particularly high tides of more than 6.8 feet on Thursday, February 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Space on the Baykeeper boat is available for a trip to view the San Francisco waterfront during high tide, leaving from Pier 1½ on Thursday, February 17, from 9:15 a.m. until noon. At noon, representatives from Baykeeper and local agency staff will also be on hand at Pier 1½ to discuss potential impacts of sea level rise in the Bay seen during the outing. Contact Jason Flanders, Staff Attorney, at (415) 856-0444 x106 or jason@baykeeper.org to reserve space or schedule an interview.

Organizations around the state are mobilizing to collect photographs of shoreline areas to help policymakers visualize projected impacts from rising sea levels and inform decision making processes. Local partners include San Francisco Baykeeper, San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). As the key agency responsible for sea level rise adaptation in San Francisco Bay, BCDC will be observing particularly vulnerable areas to inform the agency’s regional strategy for sea level rise adaptation.

“These king tides give us a chance to visualize the potential impacts of sea level rise and inform planning decisions,” says Jason Flanders, Staff Attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper. “As a region, we need to understand more about what infrastructure is at risk and about the ability of wetlands to protect the Bay Area from flooding.”

The public is encouraged to participate in the project by submitting photos of shoreline areas during King Tides. The photos will be used to identify and catalog areas vulnerable to tidal inundation and to promote awareness of the potential impacts of sea level rise. More information about participating in the Bay Area King Tide Photo Initiative is available at http://www.flickr.com/groups/bayareakingtides.

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