If you’ve been on one of the Northwest River Guides/Next Adventure paddles on the Willamette River this summer, you’ve paddled the area behind the east side of Ross Island. That area is full of ospreys, blue herons, tree-nesting birds, deer, and even a pair of bald eagles nest nearby. It just so happens that hot summer days that stretch is very popular with jet skiers and wake boarders. The wakes these boats produce erode the banks and the noise hinders the restoration of wildlife habitat.

For much of the year, there has been a campaign supported by Willamette Riverkeeper, Oregon Audobon Society and The Urban Greenspaces Institute to establish a no-wake zone in that area. Founded in 1996, Willamette Riverkeeper is the only organization dedicated solely to the protection and restoration of the Willamette River. Its efforts with regard to the improvement of habitat and water quality on the Willamette have made it the leading organization when it comes to Willamette River issues.

The initiative was supported by the Portland City Council and the Portland Parks Department. The idea was to create an area that protects the habitat restoration investment inside the Lagoon, provide a greater level of safety in the channel and lagoon, and an overall better environment for viewing and hearing wildlife - something our Sunday morning Ross Island / Next Adventure paddles would benefit from! Unfortunately, the Marine Board, the small state agency that is funded entirely with boater fees, did not accept their own staff’s recommendation and declined the proposal July 27th.

Fact is, the Marine Board is composed mostly of power boaters. We need human-powered river users on the Oregon State Marine Board!