Hopes for quiet area around Ross Island were killed last week by the Oregon State Marine Board. The board voted 3 to 2 against a proposed rule for a “No Wake Zone” on the east side of the island in the Holgate Channel.
Supporters wanted an area where motorized boats couldn’t go faster than 5mph. The idea was to keep them quiet and slow, creating a more natural like experience for kayakers and canoeists. The proposed rule would also have banned boats with motors from the Ross Island lagoon. Two of the area’s more prominent environmental groups, the Portland Audubon Society and the Willamette Riverkeeper were behind the change. They even convinced the Portland City Council to endorse the proposal.
But the “no wake” idea was strongly opposed by waterskiers and wakeboarders. They like the Holgate Channel because it’s one of the few spots on the Willamette River where you can count on having a smooth surface on the water.
In a press release, the Marine Board said its members didn’t want to impose new regulations on users of the river, and called upon the various groups to have more dialogue with each other. It went to say, “user groups need to share the water, respect each others’ values and show more courtesy.”
