State plans to draft Jefferson County boat moorage rules

In response to a petition from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon state Marine Board last week approved initiating a rulemaking process to consider new boat operation rules on lakes in the county.

The proposed rules would prohibit mooring in the same location for more than 16 days and would require a boat to move at least five river miles from its original location on the waterbody.

The rulemaking petition accepted at a board meeting last Thursday also requested a prohibition on leaving boats unattended overnight except in approved marinas and docks.

The agency said Monday it will convene a rules advisory committee comprised of members representing boaters, local businesses, concessionaires and Portland General Electric, as well as tribal, county and federal agencies, “to help develop draft rule language that would accomplish the intent of the petition but would not unintentionally impact the local businesses or homeowners.”

The Great Escape, a 44-foot cabin cruiser, moored on the Metolius River arm of Lake Billy Chinook near the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, but the tribes asked that it be moved, so its owner anchored it this summer in a small cove north of Cove Palisades State Park, eventually drawing objections from a state parks official.

The owner eventually agreed to move the 27-year-old boat to the Oregon coast, according to The Bulletin.