The king tides are once again upon us. These extremely high tides, caused by just the right gravitational alignment of the sun and earth and moon, will sweep in from Jan. 11-12 to soak shoes, give bikers a taste of hydroplaning and – if we want to be real about it – lend us a picture of the future of climate change.
Tides as high as one to two feet above normal will flood shorelines around the Bay. Caltrans has already announced it’s closing shoulder parking on Highway 1 in Tam Valley due to anticipated flooding. Other locations that will see inundation this weekend, as well as regularly in the future thanks to greenhouse-gas emissions pumping sea levels higher and higher, include the Hayward Regional Shoreline and the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. All told, it will likely cost $110 billion by 2050 to protect the Bay Area shoreline against this steady inward march of the oceans.
If you want to peer into the crystal climatological ball this weekend, several public parks around the East Bay are staging king-tide activities to observe the swole waves and even get wet (or at least muddy). Here are three events from the East Bay Regional Park District to check out this weekend in Martinez, Alameda and Hayward; another round of king tides will arrive in February, and dates for those events are included as well:
What are King Tides?
Sun. Jan. 7 from 9-11 am | Sun. Jan. 14 from 2-4 pm
“Come experience one of the highest tides of the year and a glimpse into the future. Discover what causes king tides and explore the tidal zone on this walk and talk. The terrain is flat, but not all paved. Please dress for the weather, wear boots or other shoes that can get wet, and expect to get a little wet.”
Details: Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline (Martinez) at the parking lot off N. Court St.
King Tides at the Cove
Fri. Jan. 12 from 11:30 am to noon | Fri. Feb. 9 from 10:30-11:30 am
“Stop by during your lunch or morning break and watch as the king tide flows into the marine protected area. Participate in community science and take photos to help document this tidal event!”
Details: Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove (Alameda)
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King Tide Walks at Hayward Shoreline
Sat. Jan. 13 from noon to 1:30 pm | Sat. Feb. 10 from 11 am to 12:30 pm
“What are King Tides? How do they affect plants and animals, and what can we learn from them? Find out the answers to these questions and participate in the community science King Tides Project on this easy walk along the San Francisco Bay shore. Be prepared for muddy shoes!”
Details: Hayward Regional Shoreline (Hayward) at the West Winton Avenue Staging Area
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