Join us on the Baykeeper boat to witness the year’s highest tides hit the Southern California coast
Media Contact: Liz Crosson, Santa Monica Baykeeper, (310) 394-6162, ext. 100, ; Brian Meux, (310) 394-6162, ext. 107,
Press Release
02/03/2012
Los Angeles – King Tides have arrived in California! King tides are extreme wintertime high tide events that occur as the result of the combined gravitational forces of the sun and moon. They are a naturally occurring phenomenon that can cause coastal flooding, and also provide a glimpse of what rising sea levels could look like for Californians in the coming years. There is one remaining king tide event this winter occurring over a three day period on February 6th, 7th and 8th.
As part of the 3rd annual California King Tides Initiative, Santa Monica Baykeeper and the California Coastkeeper Alliance are asking citizens to document the 2012 king tides by taking photographs during high tide anywhere along the California coast, particularly in areas subject to flooding or erosion, and submitting them to the California King Tides Photo Initiative site. The King Tides Photo Initiative is a great tool for visualizing the effects of future sea level rise, identifying areas subject to flooding, and making the connection between current polluting practices and the not-too-distant future consequences. According to the California Energy Commission, the state “may see up to a 55 inch (140 cm) rise in sea level within this century.” This living document intends to inspire communities and policymakers to take action against global warming, and the necessary steps to protect our coastal beaches, wetlands, and development from destruction as our shoreline disappears under rising seas.
Santa Monica Baykeeper Executive Director Liz Crosson indicates “[s]ea level rise is a serious and imminent threat to the environmental and economic infrastructure of the California coastline. King tides are a unique opportunity to envision the flooding, erosion, and damage that will inevitably occur unless policy and community action measures ensure that our coastal wetlands and estuaries are intact, and shoreline resources protected. “
Where to view and photograph southern California king tides in Los Angeles County: Broad Beach, Malibu shoreline homes, Marina del Rey, Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles.
The press is invited aboard the ‘Baykeeper’ to witness king tides from the sea. Contact Santa Monica Baykeeper to reserve space on our February 8th, high tide boat trip, from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Please contact Brian Meux at soon as space is limited.
For more information about King Tides, or where to view them, please visit www.smbaykeeper.org or http://californiakingtides.org/.
Founded in 1993, Santa Monica Baykeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Santa Monica Bay, San Pedro Bay and adjacent waters through enforcement, fieldwork, and community action. We work to achieve this goal through litigation and regulatory programs that ensure water quality protections in waterways throughout L.A. County; www.smbaykeeper.org.
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