Oregon Moves Forward with New Navigability Study

June 10, 2003 - Paddy McGuire, the Deputy Secretary of Oregon State and the Land Board Assistant, informed American Whitewater on behalf of the Secretary of State that Oregon will move forward on determining whether the John Day River is navigable. The timing of this announcement is important as it comes on the heels of an effort by a handful of legislators to do an end run on the navigability issue under Senate Bill 293, and on the heels of the successful navigability determination on the Sandy.

The Deputy Secretary wrote:

Treasurer Edwards initiated a process last year to bring all of the parties on the John Day together to see if there was a way to protect the interests of the river users and provide adjacent property owners some assurance that their legitimate concerns will be addressed. That process included the formation of a work group that agreed on a set of principles that have been incorporated into legislation. The situation today is that following the June land board meeting, absent an action by the land board, the study of the John Day will commence. There may be a move to further delay that process, but I can assure you that the Secretary of State will not support another delay without a commitment from the parties involved in the work group to continue to work together. He will also not support a delay that goes beyond the end of the legislative session and the governor's signature/veto period. Thanks again for your interest in the matter. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

A review of Navigability in the Pacific Northwest by Access Director Jason Robertson is available.

navigability in Oregon.

The photograph is by Streamkeeper Andrew Woehler.