Water

High Water Line

What would your neighborhood look like if sea levels rose by 10 feet?

June 5, 2014

High Water Line

Conceptualized by Eve Mosher, the HighWaterLine traces a chalk line through neighborhoods increasingly threatened by flooding. A part of the 2014 Philadelphia Science Festival, the HighWaterLine sought to demonstrate the impact of climate change and rising sea levels in three of Philadelphia's riverfront neighborhoods and the city at large.

Mosher joined CHF and community members to draw a line through Port Richmond, Kensington, and Fishtown, three neighborhoods situated along the Delaware River. Along the way volunteers and residents spoke about the local repercussions of global warming.

Mosher first drew a line in New York City in 2007, marking more than 70 miles of coastline put at risk by rising sea levels. The path taken by the line is based on mapping and statistical data from Columbia University. Mosher has also worked with communities in Miami, Bristol (U.K.), and now Philadelphia, to bring stories of sustainability and community action to life by joining science and art.