[OSMB-News] News Release -Marine Board Denies Petition for No-Wake Zone on Willamette River in Portland

[Ashley Massey]

For Immediate Release	Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Marine Board Denies Petition for No-Wake Zone on Willamette River in
Portland

The Marine Board held a special Board meeting on July 27 in Portland,
to hear testimony from various boat users and the Marine Board staff
recommendation about a proposed no-wake zone for the Holgate Channel and
Ross Island Lagoon on the Willamette River, in downtown Portland. 

The Marine Board voted three to two against the proposed rules for a
no-wake-zone.  Paddle craft and rowing clubs seek solitude and safety
from power boat wakes, and boaters who tow skiers and wake boarders seek
shelter from the wind and open stretches of water to safely enjoy their
sports. 

The Board did not want to impose regulations without the various user
groups having more dialogue to discuss the issues more thoroughly
through education and law enforcement.  Ultimately, both user groups
need to share the water, respect each others’ values and show more
courtesy when operating within the Holgate Channel, and the rest of the
river.
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Ashley A. Massey
Public Information Officer
Oregon State Marine Board
503-378-2623
503-378-8587 ext. 82623
ashley.massey at state.or.us

"Go with the flow...and don't fight the current."