Wells Tide Tracker: Putting Reserve Data to Work

In January, 2024, as the second record-breaking storm of that week pummeled the Maine coast, Jeremy Miller, a research associate at the Wells Reserve had an aha moment. For people to appreciate how rising tides and storm surges affect them in real-time, they need to understand what tidal data means in the first place. This prompted Miller to work on a solution that builds on the Reserve’s System-Wide Monitoring Program to support community resilience—the Wells Tide Tracker app.

“My wife and I were watching the news when the meteorologist mentioned 14.8 feet of water at the Portland tide gauge,” says Miller. “She thought it meant 15 feet of flooding, but it actually related to Mean Lower Low Water—the lowest tide point—not the flood height. That made me think about how few people probably understand tidal data or how it impacts infrastructure, from homes to roads.”

That moment of clarity led MIller to team up with tech-savvy Reserve volunteer Gordon Shannon to create a web app that would help present available tidal (or water level) data and storm surge predictions in a more accessible, user-friendly display.

“You can find historical tides on one website, predicted astronomical tides on another, and storm surge predictions on yet another; and with a little work, you can find your property elevation,” explains Miller. Of course, all of these values must be relative to the same agreed-upon level, or else they cannot be compared in any meaningful way; that’s where this app comes in.”

After months of planning, complex coding, and trial-and-error, the Wells Tide Tracker went public in January. It provides residents and visitors in Wells (and surrounding areas) with “near-real time,” site specific information on tidal and storm surge predictions, pulled from trusted NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) sources, including the Reserve’s weather data. Users can select a location on the map and view its elevation in relation to tidal and storm surge data from a selected date or date range, allowing them to assess current risk and/or prepare for an upcoming storm.

The Wells Tide Tracker is a practical tool that helps property owners, local governments, and coastal businesses understand exactly how rising tides will affect their day-to-day life.

“My life revolves around the tides, whether I’m at home or leading tidepooling trips,” says Carol Steingart, a beachfront home owner, marine educator and owner/operator of Coast Encounters. “The Tide Tracker gives me real-time, accurate tidal predictions, combining weather data, storm surges, and more in an easy-to-read graph. It’s my one-stop shop for reliable tidal information, and it gives me peace of mind for my home and business, especially during storms.”

While it’s currently available only for Wells and surrounding areas, Miller and Shannon are seeking funding to expand the tool to other coastal communities and people who need it through the NERRS Science Collaborative, which supports the transfer of knowledge and tools from one Reserve to others.

“All Reserves collect weather data and most collect water level [tidal] data through their local System-Wide Monitoring Program,” says Miller. “When this local data is coupled with the predicted tides and storm surge estimates from their closest NOAA Tide Gauge, they have all the ‘ingredients’ to recreate this tool for their communities.” 

Miller will present this application to his colleagues at other Reserves at the upcoming Technician Training Workshop which is hosted by the Reserves’ Centralized Data Management Office. “We hope other Reserves find this type of application useful to the folks in their communities who are trying to live—or make a living—in our ever changing, dynamic, coastal zone.”

“This is what Reserves do,” observes Rebecca Roth, executive director for the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association. “They respond to community needs with trusted information that empowers individuals to understand and respond to their changing coasts in ways that protect people, property, and the economy.”

This story was adapted from The Wrack, the Wells Reserve’s blog.