Just thought I would pass this on to you guys. This is a post on PDXWake.com
This is in Oregon, but it could be brought up in your area also. The best thing I believe is to drive smart, keep wakes to a minimum when near housing on the water, and for God sakes don't do power turns to pick up a downed rider (unless of course they are in trouble).
Here is a letter Darren, a waterfront homeowner, wrote to raise attention to the OSMB issue and breifly describes where we all are today. Please help promote the cause as it really affects all of us no matter where you boat.
WHAT’S GOING ON:
Over the past several months, part of the Oregon State Marine Board agenda has been to look at the damage recreational boating is doing on the Upper Willamette River (basically between Newberg and West Linn). A few riverfront homeowners, who long for the days of a less crowded river have attempted to use an erosion argument to have wakeboarding, wakesurfing and other towed sports regulated or eliminated from this stretch of the river despite any evidence lending credibility to their argument.
On the other side of the coin are the riverfront homeowners that enjoy the use of the waterway for recreation and the thousands of recreational boaters that use the Upper Willamette River as a place of family fun.
Now, because of the attempts to regulate the use of the river in this area the Oregon State Marine Board has the attached motion on the table for comment and either adoption, revision or rejection. In simplest terms, the motion would restrict all boating (from essentially Newberg to West Linn) to straight line operation with a 100 foot buffer between docks and a 200 foot buffer between boats following one another. Further there would be a “no-wake” zone at the Boone Bridge Marina just west of I-5.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN:
Well, the Oregon State Marine Board’s motion misses the target. For those riverfront homeowners wanting to regulate the use of our boats, this doesn’t do anything, so they will continue to push for a ban of some sort on our public waterway. For those recreational boaters and other riverfront homeowners, this ban effectively eliminates tubing, and personal watercraft use and any non-straight-line operation in one of the most popular boating spots in the area.
In addition, the enforcement of regulations like this will be nearly impossible. Can you imagine the first sunny and warm weekend this summer when people show up to the river, and you have hundreds of people wanting to take their families boating and tubing that all of a sudden are informed they can only drive in straight lines? All this does is push boaters to other waterways around the state, and then these same kind of regulations would then be something that could be pushed for in other areas.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION:
Education not regulation is the solution. In order to control the wakes and provide for the safe use of the river, what is needed is education for boaters on how to minimize their excess wakes and to keep the water as smooth as possible for themselves and others. Straight-line operation is good and necessary for towing skiers and wakeboarders. No full-power turns is also a necessity as it keeps a boater from sending a roller down the river into their own line. Minimizing “off-plane” operation to control the wakes is also needed. There are several things each of us as boaters should be doing to help minimize our wakes.
This education needs to come from the local boat dealers as part of selling a boat. Further it should also be part of the Oregon State Marine Board’s boater education test. Teaching people how to control their wakes and keep the water useable for everyone is the only way to have a safe and open waterway without restricting its use.
The idea of regulating distances for at-speed operation near docks to 100 feet and a 200 foot minimum following distance between boats are good. These are common sense things for most boaters, but they probably should be part of the river regulation. The no wake zone for the marina is also a good idea because the current at this marina makes it hard enough to launch and load boats safely.
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED:
Whether you plan to attend the May meeting or not, please sign our petition to stop the needless regulation of our waterway. Petitions are located at both Active Water Sports locations (1224 McLoughlin, Oregon City, OR 97045 and 12050 SW Canyon Rd, Beaverton, OR 97005) and at Bridge City Water Sports (28725 SW Boones Ferry Rd., Wilsonville, OR 97070). If you are unable to get to these locations, please email matt@activeh2o.com that you are opposed to regulation of our recreational use of the river. Put in the subject line – EDUCATION NOT REGULATION. Please provide your name and address in the email, and if you happen to also be a riverfront homeowner make sure you say that.
If you want to voice your opinions, please attend the Oregon State Marine Board meeting in Wilsonville on May 13th (please see the attached notice). The meeting will be held at the Clackamas Community College, Wilsonville Training Center, Room 111/112, 29353 Town Center Loop East, Wilsonville, OR 97070
If you want to comment in writing, you can do so by sending them to June LeTarte, OSMB, P.O. Box 14145, Salem, OR 97309.
If you want to comment via email, you can do so at osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us
PASS THIS ALONG TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT WANTS TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE RECREATIONAL USE OF OUR RIVER. THIS IS A PLACE NOT JUST FOR THE HOMEOWNERS, IT IS FOR EVERYONE’S ENJOYMENT.
This is in Oregon, but it could be brought up in your area also. The best thing I believe is to drive smart, keep wakes to a minimum when near housing on the water, and for God sakes don't do power turns to pick up a downed rider (unless of course they are in trouble).
Here is a letter Darren, a waterfront homeowner, wrote to raise attention to the OSMB issue and breifly describes where we all are today. Please help promote the cause as it really affects all of us no matter where you boat.
WHAT’S GOING ON:
Over the past several months, part of the Oregon State Marine Board agenda has been to look at the damage recreational boating is doing on the Upper Willamette River (basically between Newberg and West Linn). A few riverfront homeowners, who long for the days of a less crowded river have attempted to use an erosion argument to have wakeboarding, wakesurfing and other towed sports regulated or eliminated from this stretch of the river despite any evidence lending credibility to their argument.
On the other side of the coin are the riverfront homeowners that enjoy the use of the waterway for recreation and the thousands of recreational boaters that use the Upper Willamette River as a place of family fun.
Now, because of the attempts to regulate the use of the river in this area the Oregon State Marine Board has the attached motion on the table for comment and either adoption, revision or rejection. In simplest terms, the motion would restrict all boating (from essentially Newberg to West Linn) to straight line operation with a 100 foot buffer between docks and a 200 foot buffer between boats following one another. Further there would be a “no-wake” zone at the Boone Bridge Marina just west of I-5.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN:
Well, the Oregon State Marine Board’s motion misses the target. For those riverfront homeowners wanting to regulate the use of our boats, this doesn’t do anything, so they will continue to push for a ban of some sort on our public waterway. For those recreational boaters and other riverfront homeowners, this ban effectively eliminates tubing, and personal watercraft use and any non-straight-line operation in one of the most popular boating spots in the area.
In addition, the enforcement of regulations like this will be nearly impossible. Can you imagine the first sunny and warm weekend this summer when people show up to the river, and you have hundreds of people wanting to take their families boating and tubing that all of a sudden are informed they can only drive in straight lines? All this does is push boaters to other waterways around the state, and then these same kind of regulations would then be something that could be pushed for in other areas.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION:
Education not regulation is the solution. In order to control the wakes and provide for the safe use of the river, what is needed is education for boaters on how to minimize their excess wakes and to keep the water as smooth as possible for themselves and others. Straight-line operation is good and necessary for towing skiers and wakeboarders. No full-power turns is also a necessity as it keeps a boater from sending a roller down the river into their own line. Minimizing “off-plane” operation to control the wakes is also needed. There are several things each of us as boaters should be doing to help minimize our wakes.
This education needs to come from the local boat dealers as part of selling a boat. Further it should also be part of the Oregon State Marine Board’s boater education test. Teaching people how to control their wakes and keep the water useable for everyone is the only way to have a safe and open waterway without restricting its use.
The idea of regulating distances for at-speed operation near docks to 100 feet and a 200 foot minimum following distance between boats are good. These are common sense things for most boaters, but they probably should be part of the river regulation. The no wake zone for the marina is also a good idea because the current at this marina makes it hard enough to launch and load boats safely.
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED:
Whether you plan to attend the May meeting or not, please sign our petition to stop the needless regulation of our waterway. Petitions are located at both Active Water Sports locations (1224 McLoughlin, Oregon City, OR 97045 and 12050 SW Canyon Rd, Beaverton, OR 97005) and at Bridge City Water Sports (28725 SW Boones Ferry Rd., Wilsonville, OR 97070). If you are unable to get to these locations, please email matt@activeh2o.com that you are opposed to regulation of our recreational use of the river. Put in the subject line – EDUCATION NOT REGULATION. Please provide your name and address in the email, and if you happen to also be a riverfront homeowner make sure you say that.
If you want to voice your opinions, please attend the Oregon State Marine Board meeting in Wilsonville on May 13th (please see the attached notice). The meeting will be held at the Clackamas Community College, Wilsonville Training Center, Room 111/112, 29353 Town Center Loop East, Wilsonville, OR 97070
If you want to comment in writing, you can do so by sending them to June LeTarte, OSMB, P.O. Box 14145, Salem, OR 97309.
If you want to comment via email, you can do so at osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us
PASS THIS ALONG TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT WANTS TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE RECREATIONAL USE OF OUR RIVER. THIS IS A PLACE NOT JUST FOR THE HOMEOWNERS, IT IS FOR EVERYONE’S ENJOYMENT.
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