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King Tides – Gabriola Island

The last few days have shown us the awe inspiring power of our global weather systems and how they can affect us here on Gabriola; as well as our neighbours on Vancouver Island. While these storms replenish our aquifers, cisterns and  ecosystems and make for excellent bird watching, they also provide us with an opportunity to have a brief glimpse of what the future coastline may look like in 100 years.

While driving on the ferry this week many of you may have noticed how steep the ramp was to drive on to; many vehicles having to slow down and maneuver themselves carefully over the crest of the ramp. These extreme high tides are known as King Tides. These tides occur from November through February on the coast and are exacerbated by storm surges and high levels of rainfall – sound like Gabriola this week? According to the Provincial Government these storm surges coupled with King Tides provide an example of what the average water level will be in the future with sea level rise.

So while you are out enjoying a stormy walk along Berry Point or in Drumbeg Park, take the opportunity to see what the future coastline will be on the island….oh and hold onto your hats and carry an umbrella!

The Provincial Government through Live Smart BC, is an excellent resource for people wanting to learn more about King Tides we encourage everyone to visit their website (http://www.livesmartbc.ca/connect/kingtidephotos/index.html ) .