Marine Board Seeks Written Public Comment On Petition For Ana Reservoir - 12/03/25

The Oregon State Marine Board received a petition on October 24, 2025, regarding the administrative rules (OAR) affecting Ana Reservoir in Lake County. Petitioners are asking the Marine Board to update OAR 250-020-0211: “Ana Reservoir:  A person must not operate a motorboat in excess of a slow-no wake speed.”

The comment period closes December 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm. The Board will consider the petition during its January 29, 2026, board meeting, being held in Salem. If the Board votes to accept the petition and initiate rulemaking, there will be additional opportunities for public comment and engagement prior to adoption of new rule language.

Written comments can be submitted by email to jennifer.cooper@boat.oregon.gov or by U.S. mail to: Jennifer Cooper, Administrative Rules Coordinator, Oregon State Marine Board, 435 Commercial Street NE, Salem, OR 97301.

To view the petition, visit the Marine Board’s Rulemaking and Public Notices page.

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“Respect The River” Signage Posted On The Siletz River (Photo) - 11/21/25

The Oregon State Marine Board’s staff recently installed new signs on the Siletz River to raise awareness of the significant cultural, ecological, and social values that exist for the local community. The “Respect the River” campaign encourages boaters to be mindful of their boat operations and share space with other recreators, especially during periods of heavy use.

Signs are posted at the following boating access sites:
 

• Strome Park
• Jack Morgan Park
• Ojalla Bridge Slide
• Old Mill Park
• Hee Hee Illahee
• Twin Bridges Park Ramp
• Moonshine Park Ramp

The Marine Board traditionally directs staff to work with boaters in local communities by spreading awareness through education campaigns, signage, and marine law enforcement contacts with a period of evaluation before implementing new rules for boat operations.

Last July, the Oregon State Marine Board convened a rule advisory committee (RAC) in response to a petition submitted in February 2025 by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. The petition asks the Marine Board to consider prohibiting all motorboats upstream of Jack Morgan Park to protect the riverbanks from motorboat wake, protect native fish habitat, and improve mixed-use boating safety.

The agency continues to gather data from subject matter experts and will evaluate the education and outreach efforts through the fall and winter fisheries. Marine Board staff will update the board and ask for further direction during its next quarterly meeting, scheduled for January 29, in Salem.

Find more information on the Siletz River rule advisory committee activities: https://www.oregon.gov/osmb/info/Pages/Rulemaking-and-Public-Notices.aspx.

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Marine Board Seeks Written Public Comment On Renewing Permit For Rowing Racecourse On Dexter Reservoir - 11/21/25

The Oregon State Marine Board received an application to renew a Special Use Device Permit, which was issued to the Oregon Association of Rowing for a buoyed racecourse on Dexter Reservoir in Lane County. The renewal proposes dates for installing and removing special use devices (cables and buoys) for the 2025 and 2026 rowing seasons.

Description of the Buoyed Racecourse

The raising and lowering of the entire course includes the installation of:

• Large orange buoys mark the course every 500 meters (a total of 10 buoys)
• Lateral cables cross the course at the start and finish and every 500 meters
• Lane lines consisting of cables suspended 4 feet below the surface of the water.
• Small can buoys are attached by wires to the lane lines. These consist of red can buoys first 250 meters at the start and last 250 meters to finish, and white “can” buoys the 1500 meters between the start and finish.
• Medium-sized red buoys are located at the eastern and western ends of the lanes. 

When the full course is up, it consists of 8 racing lanes, 13.5 meters apart, and 2,000 meters long.

The course extends from the Covered Bridge on the east to the non-motorized watercraft dock near the dam on the west. Installation occurs in phases, beginning December 6 – 21, 2025.

The Marine Board is soliciting written public comments exclusively relating to the 2,000-meter buoy course as it relates to the size of the waterbody, season of use, impacts to adjacent properties, potential for user conflicts, and other factors as they relate to public health, safety, and welfare.

The comment period closes December 5, 2025, at 11:55 pm. Following the closing of the comment period, the agency will evaluate the application and consider the public comments in deciding whether to issue a permit.

Written comments can be submitted by email to jennifer.cooper@boat.oregon.gov or by U.S. mail to: Jennifer Cooper, Administrative Rules Coordinator, Oregon State Marine Board, 435 Commercial Street NE, Salem, OR 97301.

To view Public Notices, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/info/Pages/Rulemaking-and-Public-Notices.aspx.

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Marine Board Seeks Public Comments On Proposed Rule Language For Whitewater Exemption (Photo) - 11/05/25

The Oregon State Marine Board filed a notice of proposed rulemaking with the Secretary of State’s Office on October 30, to solicit public comments on the proposed rule language to implement the Waterway Access Permit whitewater exemption per HB 2982 from the 2025 legislative session. The exemption pertains to boats under 10 feet in length, engaging in Class IV or higher whitewater runs that are not accessible from an improved boating facility.

The Marine Board approved the staff recommendation referencing GIS technology as a better aid to boaters for visualizing specific waterways with Class IV and higher whitewater rapids, where permits would be exempt. Using this map application and a new data layer, boaters can select the “Proposed Whitewater Exemption” layer to comment on the specific river segments being proposed for the permit exemption. Visit the agency’s Boat Oregon Online Map.

Agency staff compiled the data with assistance from the American Whitewater Association and additional references to whitewater rapid segments, combined with Marine Board data on waterway access facilities.  

Additionally, agency staff will hold a hybrid-style public hearing on December 4, 2025, from 11 am to 1 pm. The meeting will be held at the agency’s office, 435 Commercial Street NE, in Salem. The public can also participate online. The Board will meet in January 2026, and may make a motion to adopt, amend, or take other action on the proposed rulemaking.

Written comments will be accepted until December 15, by 11:55 pm. Comments can be submitted by email to osmb.rulemaking@boat.oregon.gov or by U.S. Mail to Jennifer Cooper, Administrative Rules Coordinator, Oregon State Marine Board, 435 Commercial Street NE, Salem, OR 97301. Testimony will not be accepted by telephone.

Additional Resources:

• October meeting materials from the Marine Board’s Public Meetings page and public hearing information, including the virtual public hearing link.
• New Rules and Notices page with the notice for public comment.

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