Daylight Minus Tides in South Puget Sound Are Arriving - Go See What Only Puget Sound can Provide

There's a whole different world exposed 

when the tide is out which is worth protecting.

 

Get out to see what is only

visible during the minus tides.

 

Tide Charts on the Web

 



The first minus tides of 2014 will be arriving April 16th. The first set of low tides will fall to -1.6 on Friday the 18th at 2:47PM. At the end of April another set of minus tides will begin, also having the lowest at -1.6. There are a number of web sites which provide tidal information which are listed below. Some are able to provide more site specific information, others are more general. All are helpful to know when the lowest tidelands will be exposed, many on the weekends. Get out and experience what only Puget Sound is able to provide - a world in which species have adapted to survive in both water and air.

Dairiki will allow both monthly and daily tide charts. The times are based on Olympia. Oakland Bay (Shelton) is about 1 1/4 hours later (see NOAA site below for site specific information).

Tide Table for April, 2014

Olympia Times

Note: Not for navigation.

(click to enlarge)

From: http://www.dairiki.org/tides/monthly.php/oly

 

Friday April 18, 2014

 

Deepzoom provides an interactive map of Puget Sound which shows currents and tidal elevations throughout the area. Below is an image from Friday, April 18 showing current flows during the flood tide following the -1.6 earlier in the day. You are able to set a variety of time scales and speeds, as well as zoom in to various locations.

From Deepzoom interactive site.

(click to enlarge)

NOAA provides a third alternative which allows for the choice of a number of stations throughout all of Puget Sound. Below is the April tide chart with the daily graph for each day. Choices allow for daily, weekly or monthly graphing and choice of locations (click on Washington, scroll down to Puget Sound, and make selection).

From NOAA for April

at Vaughn, Case Inlet

(click to enlarge)



Last Daylight Deep Minus Tides of 2013

July 2013 Tide Table

(Olympia Times/Depths)

The last daylight deep minus tides of 2013 will occur on the 20th through the 24th of July. Tidal elevations will drop to -3.3 in south Puget Sound, ending with a high tide elevation of 16 feet on the 24th and 25th, the highest level of the year. It is because of these deep minus tides that south Puget Sound has seen the highest intensity of geoduck farming in Puget Sound. If time allows and you or a friend have a boat, get out for a lunch time ride and see what's happening to Puget Sound's lower intertidal areas.

Fudge Point, Harstene Island

June 23, 2013 ( -4 tide) - new farm

Spencer Cove, Harstene Island

June 23, 2013 (-4 tide) ongoing farms

 

Case Inlet, eastern side

June 22, 2013 (-3.5 tide) forgotten tubes

 

Case Inlet, eastern side

June 22, 2013 (-3.5 tide) mesh tubing

 

 



June 23: Lowest Tide of 2013 (-4) Will Occur at Noon (Olympia Time)

June Tide Chart (Olympia Times)

Sunday, June 23, South Puget Sound (that area south of the Tacoma Narrows) will see the lowest tide of 2013, just after noon (12:16, Olympia). At that point the tidal elevation will be at a -4 level, after which the next 7.5 hours will see enough water flow through the Narrows to cause the entire body of water in south Puget Sound to rise 19.5 feet. Monday will see an even greater rise, from -4 (1:03PM) to +16 (8:11PM). Mid-afternoon of the 23rd, currents through the Tacoma Narrows climb to over 7 knots.

Current Direction/Speed at 4:30PM, June 23

(from DeepZoom)



These low tides and the extreme flows of water come only a few times of the year. Make a point of getting out to see a world found only in Puget Sound. You may also be able to find out what it is Taylor Shellfish has been doing in Burley Lagoon during the night hours, disturbing many resident's sleep.

Why were all these removed from

Burley Lagoon's tidelands?

Spreading the Wealth - From the Shellfish Industry to Puget Sound

What else will the minus tides

bring to us over the next few days?

 

Times of upcoming low tides (Olympia)

Thursday April 25, 12:16PM, -1.2

 Friday April 26, 12:57PM, -2.2 Saturday April 27, 1:40PM, -2.8 Sunday April 28, 2:27PM, -2.9 Monday April 29, 3:16PM, -2.6 Tuesday April 30, 4:09PM, -1.8

 

Mussel Disc

(Eld Inlet)

 

Mesh netting

(Eld Inlet)