New tidal gauge completed in Wash

A new tidal gauge installed in the Wash, Lincolnshire, will help the Environment Agency measure tides, predict flooding and assess the impact of climate change more accurately.

The instrument is on a platform measuring approximately 2 meters across and 11 meters above sea level. It’s located 4 km offshore in the Wash, Lincolnshire.

As well as collecting data for the Environment Agency, the gauge’s information on tide levels will also be used by the harbor authority to help boats navigate through the Wash.

The tidal gauge will provide accurate tidal information, used for a number of purposes including tidal analysis and prediction, oceanographic research, coastal defence and storm surge warning systems, according to FoundOcean, a construction and engineering service provider that was involved in the installation of the gauge.

Claire Rose, Flood and Coastal Risk Management Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said: “This new gauge has a practical benefit for local communities as the information it gathers on sea levels will help us predict tidal surges and therefore improve our flood warning service. It’s a nationally important project, too, as it fills in the last gap in the UK’s monitoring network to give us the best picture of tidal conditions across the country.”

Image: Environment Agency