King tides are slamming into San Diego County beaches and swelling some local bays. The alignment of the Earth, moon and sun create these very high tides. The King Tides also serves as a reminder of California's rising sea levels.
In the past, the very high tide has caused flooding in places like Imperial Beach and La Jolla Shores. Along beaches and bays, City of San Diego workers set up berms to keep most of the water away from homes and businesses.
At Rose Creek, near Mission Bay, a group of volunteers spent Saturday morning documenting the change to the creek’s shoreline. The event was part of the California King Tides Project, organized by the California Coastal Commission. Citizen scientists up and down the California coast are uploading their videos and photos to help the state keep track of the changing coastline.
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“What’s really striking is how high the tide is coming. It’s interacting with our bike paths and our roads,” said Andrew Meyer, Director of Conservation at The San Diego Audubon Society.
“It really starts affecting our Mission Bay High School, it starts affecting our Barnard Elementary School,” Meyer added.
Mission Bay High School is next to Rose Creek. The rising waters did not reach the campus, but when King Tides hit during storms, they have the potential to cause property damage.
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King Tides are not caused by sea-level rise, but they do give San Diegans a preview of what higher sea levels will be like in the coming decades. The City of San Diego is projected to see a rise between 1.2 and 2.8 feet by 2050.
