[OSMB-News] News Release -Spring Boating -Expect Downed Trees and Other Obstructions

[Massey, Ashley]

For Immediate Release                             Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Spring Boating -Expect Downed Trees and Other Obstructions

          In the last few weeks, the Oregon State Marine Board and local sheriff's office marine patrols were notified by boaters about several dangerous navigation obstructions resulting from wind storms and rainfall.  River banks are saturated in some areas, resulting in landslides and tree falls.  The Marine Board reminds boaters who are venturing out in the beautiful weather to scout ahead, know where to put-in and take-out, pay attention to posted warnings, carefully read the river and check the Marine Board website ahead of time to learn where the known obstructions are located.
            "The boating obstructions page is a huge resource for boaters," says Ashley Massey, Public Information Officer for the Marine Board.  "When we receive notification about a navigation obstruction, we contact the county marine officers who patrol that waterway.  They assess the obstruction and make recommendations to agency staff about potential mitigation."  The Marine Board is only authorized to remove obstructions that are an "extraordinary hazard to boating safety." If there is a need to mitigate, the Board will work with stakeholders to determine the best course of action, and will consult with partner agencies to minimize environmental impact. For every obstruction that's reported and assessed, the website will also list an action plan by all the parties involved," Massey adds.
Trees, root wads, and other natural debris are a common part of Oregon's rivers and streams, providing important ecological benefits such as fish habitat and sediment removal. However, this debris can be very dangerous to boaters.  Deadheads (old pilings or logged trees) may lie just below the surface, so keep a close look out for subtle changes in the water's surface.  Strainers (trees hanging out from the bank) can trap a boat and the current could force it underwater.  Motorized boaters should operate carefully and pay attention to the surface dynamics ahead of them, especially while on-plane.
[cid:image006.png at 01D066E7.44A22560]            "The North Santiam and McKenzie Rivers see the most obstructions year-round," says Massey.  "Only experienced boaters should run these rivers.  Pool toys and many other types of inflatable craft are not designed for rivers with all of their natural hydraulics.  Pool toys were designed for a pool."  Massey adds, "Current will often carry watercraft directly into an obstruction, potentially puncturing the float toy and trap the occupants.  The North Santiam and similar rivers, are littered with punctured toys.  Each one of them represents a close-call, and they don't need to be."
The Marine Board encourages boaters to report major navigation obstructions to their local sheriff's office marine patrol unit.  Massey says, "Let them know what you see out there and law enforcement will coordinate with us to get the word out so boaters can stay safe."
            To learn where the reported navigation obstructions are: http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/Pages/safety/navigation_hazards.aspx.
             To learn more about how to Boat Oregon and the Marine Board, visit www.boatoregon.com<http://www.boatoregon.com>.


###

Ashley A. Massey
Legislative Coordinator
Public Information Officer
Oregon State Marine Board
503-378-2623
[EmailOSMB_logos_cmyk_300dpi]<http://www.oregon.gov/osmb>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/osmb-news/attachments/20150325/7fc74630/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 906 bytes
Desc: image001.gif
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/osmb-news/attachments/20150325/7fc74630/attachment.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 592930 bytes
Desc: image002.png
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/osmb-news/attachments/20150325/7fc74630/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.png
Type: image/png
Size: 483131 bytes
Desc: image006.png
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/osmb-news/attachments/20150325/7fc74630/attachment-0001.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image007.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 4954 bytes
Desc: image007.jpg
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/osmb-news/attachments/20150325/7fc74630/attachment.jpg>