RISING TIDES AT CHINA CAMP: A Reflection on the 1/21/19 King Tide Walk with the National Estuarine Research Reserve What is a King Tide? If you are a resident of Peacock Gap or Santa Venetia neighborhoods, you are well aware of this coastal phenomenon. Several times a year, residents find their daily commute interrupted by roads partially inundated with water. Some even risk the well-being of their vehicles by fording the flooded areas. For many, king tides are merely a nuisance, but at China Camp, they are a point of fascination for those who are captivated by the dynamic rhythms of the natural world. Sarah Ferner leading a King tide hike. On a brisk January morning this year, 25 nature-seekers gathered at Turtleback Trailhead to experience the annual King Tide on a hike expertly led by the National Estuarine Research Reserve Education Coordinator Sarah Ferner. King Tides are a peculiar natural phenomenon. They occur several times a year when both the sun and the moon align so that their gravity “pulls” the earth’s oceans creating a “bulge”. The pull is most acute when the full or new moon is closest to the earth in its elliptical orbit. Along coastlines, this creates extremely high tides and flooding of varying degrees. Image from higher-tides.com This cosmic event makes for a birding bonanza along marshland areas because animals evacuate the pickleweed and salt grass in search of higher ground, escaping the rising sea water. Birds from all over Marin County coalesce at China Camp’s marshes to feast upon lizards, mice, insects, and other creatures. From a birds-eye-view, it looks like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Among the many birds in you can see in the marshland are Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, and Great Blue Herons. Photo of black rail from Julio Mulero on aziba.org During the King Tide hike, word on the street was that there had been a sighting of a Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) lurking around the marshes of China Camp. The King Tide hiking group hoped to see it, but because the bird is considered scarce, expectations were low. A particularly determined birder set up his tripod and camera with a forearm-sized photo lens. Soon, a dark black-brown pear-shaped animal clumsily scuttled across the trail from the marsh into the manzanita bushes. Twenty lucky participants, including the photographer, saw the bird; however, the poor photographer missed the shot because his telephoto lens was too big to photograph something that close! Even without the photo, the group confirmed it to be the elusive Black Rail. As the group made their way to the north end of the Turtleback Trail and admired the high tide at its peak just over seven feet, a dark feathered mass emerged from above the oak canopy. Hike leader Sarah Ferner exclaimed, ”Oh, and there is a Bald Eagle!”. Everyone gasped! White head, yellow beak, golden brown feathers. Yup, definitely a Bald Eagle, and definitely not a sight you see every day in China Camp! King Tides provide a small glimpse of what is to come concerning global climate change. NASA indicates that the current global mean sea level has risen 3.2 millimeters per year since 1870, and the rate of rise continues to increase. The decisions that society makes now will affect the severity of the change, and the livelihood of the marsh and the creatures that live within it. Wetland ecologists have found that marsh habitats can adapt to rising average tides as long as the rate of rise is slow enough for them to keep up. In 80 to 100 years sea level rise will have flooded North San Pedro Road, effectively restricting access. Because this County roadway is a main public access road between two ends of San Rafael, Marin County Public Works, California State Parks, and the National Estuarine Research Reserve are among multiple agencies that are collaboratively working toward solutions to this problem. Participants engaged in a lively conversation at the end of the hike exploring potential solutions, such as an elevated causeway or a road realignment. If you missed this year’s King Tide, click here to see a time-lapse video of a previous King Tide At China Camp. If you want to learn more about what the County of Marin is doing in terms of planning for sea level rise, click here. .