The following letter was sent to Friends of Ross Island, if you live in Brooklyn (or Portland for that matter) than you probably should be a friend of Ross Island. In a nutshell they ask that the Holgate Slough (the area between Ross Island and the Willamette’s East bank be a no wake zone. This would make a haven for both paddlers and wildlife alike. Read on and take action
Dear Friends of Ross Island,
The Oregonian Editorial Board did an outstanding editorial this morning calling for Portland Parks and Portland Bureau of Environmental Services to petition the State Marine Board to create a no-wake zone in the Ross Island Lagoon and the Holgate Channel (between Ross Island and Oaks Bottom). We urge you to write both the Oregonian and the Portland City Council in support of a modified version of this proposal that would make the Holgate no-wake and the Ross Island Lagoon non-motorized (except for activities associated with Ross Island Sand and Gravel operations and restoration activities).
Water skiers, jet boats, jet skis and wake boarders have the entire Willamette to enjoy their sports. It is entirely reasonable to set aside a small area between Ross Island and Oaks Bottom for quiet enjoyment of nature. Establishing a no-wake zone in the Holgate Channel and a non-motorized zone in the Ross Island Lagoon would:
· Increase safety in an area that is very heavily utilized by canoes, kayaks and other non-motorized boats
· Create a rare oasis of relative calm and quiet on an otherwise very busy river—a place where people can hear the birds… see an otter… have an intimate experience with nature
· Protect in-water and riparian restoration efforts along the channel and in the lagoon
· Protect sensitive nesting avian species such as bald eagles and great blue herons from disturbance
· Reduce a serious erosion problem on Ross Island which is largely a result of wave action from boat wakesWe urge you to write the Oregonian and City Council today to support making Ross Island Lagoon Non-Motorized and the Holgate Channel No-Wake.
Thanks,
Bob Sallinger
Conservation Director
Audubon Society of PortlandOregonian Letters to the Editor
letters@news.oregonian.comCity Council E-mail Addresses
mayorpotter@ci.portland.or.us
dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us
randy@ci.portland.or.us
adams@ci.portland.or.us
fishnick@comcast.net
1 response so far ↓
1 Lance // Aug 5, 2008 at 9:23 am
Salvatore,
I guess technically that you are correct. The Wilamette River is typically too shallow for these activities as it comes out of the Cascade Mountain range and into the valley. Their are also numerous rock and sand bars between Eugene and Corvallis that make jet boating next to impossible.
However, I am not aware of any areas along the lower Willamette in Clackamas and Multnomah Counties where motor boat use is restricted. Please correct me if I am wrong here.
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