Marine Board Approves New Rules For Motorboats On Siletz River, Opens Rulemaking
- 07/31/26
The Oregon State Marine Board held its quarterly hybrid-style board meeting on July 30, in Madras.
In its first agenda item for a vote, the Board approved the following rule language for the Siletz River in Lincoln County:
(6) Siletz River:
a) No person shall use a motor in excess of 15 horsepower and in excess of slow-no wake speed to propel a boat between Jack Morgan Park boat ramp and Old Mill Park boat ramp.
b) All motor use is prohibited upstream of Old Mill Park boat ramp.
c) All motor use is prohibited on all Siletz River tributaries upstream of Jack Morgan's Park boat ramp.
The Board added a fourth component for a smoother rule implementation to avoid negatively impacting anglers and the local community for scheduled angling opportunities this fall and winter: (d) Rule becomes effective on March 31, 2027.
The Board also directed staff to promptly work with the City of Siletz on permitting and facility design improvements at Old Mill Park. Improvements include the parking areas, replacing the boat ramp and adding a new vault toilet. The Board agreed to delegate out-of-cycle funding authority to Director Warren for Old Mill Park’s improvements, with a not-to-exceed amount of $500,000 in boating facility grants. Staff was also directed to develop educational and safety signage in advance of the rule's implementation and to conduct a standard one-year review in 2028 to determine the rule’s effectiveness.
The Board also opened rulemaking for two agenda items:
- Amending personal flotation device (PFD) definitions in Marine Board administrative rules to align with U.S. Coast Guard terminology; and
- Creating a reciprocity rule between Oregon and Idaho Outfitter Guides operating on the Snake River, which intersects both states. The purpose of the rule is to ensure uniformity of laws between Oregon and Idaho, clarifying registration, license, or permit requirements. A reciprocity rule already exists between Oregon and Washington’s border waters.
The Marine Board will issue news releases soliciting written public comments for each item once the Notices of Rulemaking are filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.
The proposed rulemaking language for both items can be found in the Board Book on the Public Meetings page with other materials presented during the meeting.
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Marine Board Approves New Rules For Motorboats On Siletz River, Opens Rulemaking
- 07/31/26
The Oregon State Marine Board held its quarterly hybrid-style board meeting on July 30, in Madras.
In its first agenda item for a vote, the Board approved the following rule language for the Siletz River in Lincoln County:
(6) Siletz River:
a) No person shall use a motor in excess of 15 horsepower and in excess of slow-no wake speed to propel a boat between Jack Morgan Park boat ramp and Old Mill Park boat ramp.
b) All motor use is prohibited upstream of Old Mill Park boat ramp.
c) All motor use is prohibited on all Siletz River tributaries upstream of Jack Morgan's Park boat ramp.
The Board added a fourth component for a smoother rule implementation to avoid negatively impacting anglers and the local community for scheduled angling opportunities this fall and winter: (d) Rule becomes effective on March 31, 2027.
The Board also directed staff to promptly work with the City of Siletz on permitting and facility design improvements at Old Mill Park. Improvements include the parking areas, replacing the boat ramp and adding a new vault toilet. The Board agreed to delegate out-of-cycle funding authority to Director Warren for Old Mill Park’s improvements, with a not-to-exceed amount of $500,000 in boating facility grants. Staff was also directed to develop educational and safety signage in advance of the rule's implementation and to conduct a standard one-year review in 2028 to determine the rule’s effectiveness.
The Board also opened rulemaking for two agenda items:
- Amending personal flotation device (PFD) definitions in Marine Board administrative rules to align with U.S. Coast Guard terminology; and
- Creating a reciprocity rule between Oregon and Idaho Outfitter Guides operating on the Snake River, which intersects both states. The purpose of the rule is to ensure uniformity of laws between Oregon and Idaho, clarifying registration, license, or permit requirements. A reciprocity rule already exists between Oregon and Washington’s border waters.
The Marine Board will issue news releases soliciting written public comments for each item once the Notices of Rulemaking are filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.
The proposed rulemaking language for both items can be found in the Board Book on the Public Meetings page with other materials presented during the meeting.
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