Cottonwood Canyon State Park

Cottonwood Canyon
State Park
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
The new park, between Wasco and Condon in North
Central Oregon, will ultimately preserve 16 miles of the
John Day River.
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
• 8,114 acres of deeded lands (309 acres bottomland and 7,700
acres rangeland)
• 8,000 acres of BLM rangeland under lease for grazing
• About 16 miles of John Day River frontage
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Private/public partnership with the Western
Rivers Conservancy
• Public river access
• Recreation
• Restoration activities
• Resource protection
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Not only a destination place, but a
connector to access public lands and the
John Day River.
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Opportunities / Issues
• Jurisdictions
• Resource Management
• Enforcement
• Special Designations
• Planning
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Opportunities to bring together:
• Heritage (pre-settlement, settlement, land use, lifestyles)
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Opportunities to bring together:
• Scenic & Natural
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Opportunities to bring together:
• Recreation
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Natural Values
• John Day is the longest undammed river west
of the Continental Divide
• Outstanding grassland and shrub steppe
habitats
• Healthiest steelhead run in the Columbia
River basin
• Largest remaining wild spring and fall
Chinook runs in NE Oregon
The Wild Place
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Natural Values
• Corridor for largest herd of bighorn sheep
(lower John Day canyon)
• Habitat for wildlife including several at risk
species (burrowing owl, ferrunginous hawk,
grasshopper sparrow, loggerhead shrike &
sagebrush lizard.
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Natural Values
• Archaeological resources
yet to be determined
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Next Steps
• Acquisitions will continue into 2011
• Planning is just beginning – improve and enhance current level of service
• Park opening in 2013
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Water Trail Opportunities:
• Upstream - Clarno
• Cottonwood Bridge (take-
out/put-in)
• Possible downstream take out
• Riverside camping
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
By 2013 park opening:
• Create a John Day River Water
Trail Guide
• Develop a State Scenic Bikeway
Route
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
The Wild Place
Oregon’s Water Trail
Development Efforts
In 2005, Oregon was the first state in the
nation to complete a Statewide Water
Trails Plan.
Three critical factors pose a serious threat to longterm non-motorized boating access to waterways
in Oregon.
• A rapid increase in participation in non-motorized boating.
• Lack of legal clarity & understanding of the public’s right to
Oregon’s waterways for recreational purposes.
• A potential for increases in conflict between non-motorized
boaters and riparian landowners.
A rapid increase in non-motorized boating
participation
Change in Annual Participation - Statewide (1987-2002)
Activity
1987 User
Occasions*
2002 User
Occasions
Power Boating
Non-Motorized Boating***
2,668,085
929,369
2,751,190
2,210,552
Change
**
1,281,183
% Change
**
138%
* A user occasion is defined as each time an individual participates in a single outdoor recreation activity
during a 24-hour period
** Within the +/-8% Confidence Interval
***Non-motorized boating includes canoeing, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking & whitewater rafting
3 Oregon SCORP surveys show a 138% increase in nonmotorized boating participation from 1987 to 2002.
3 During the same time period, motorized boating
participation remains constant.
Confusion over publics’ rights to use
waterways for boating
Opinions About Non-Motorized Boaters Rights to Use Waterways
N = 215-241
Anchor to fish
Travel anywhere boat will
float
Stop to picnic
Fish on shore
Portage around obstacles
Legal
Illegal
Depends
Don't Know
46%
26%
18%
10%
41%
38%
37%
36%
48%
21%
21%
30%
8%
39%
34%
20%
3%
2%
8%
14%
Sampling error for these questions are from +/-5% to +/-6%
3 Survey responses suggest a sizable information gap among
non-motorized boaters regarding the public’s rights to use
waterways in Oregon.
According to recreation providers:
“The primary objective of a statewide non-motorized
boating strategy must be to better inform nonmotorized boaters on where they legally can launch or
access the water & shore to ensure long-term access to
floatable waterways in Oregon”.
Key Oregon Water Trails Plan
Recommendation:
Develop a statewide system of Water Trails carefully
designed to minimize conflict between non-motorized
boaters and waterfront property owners.
Willamette River
Water Trail
• Started in 2005 with a
35 mile stretch
• Now have over 215
miles of trail from
Eugene to Portland
• Water trail guides
maps
• Willamette River
Water Trail Website
hosted by Willamette
Riverkeepers
OPRD has worked with the Department of State
Lands to prioritize for upcoming state water trail
development efforts.
• Sandy River (Guide due in June)
• Rogue River (Trail inventory
underway)
• John Day River (Next to begin)
• Clackamas River
• Grand Ronde River
• Nehalem River
• North Umpqua River
Rogue River Inventory Atlas Index
Other Grass-Roots Water Trail Development
in Oregon
• Alsea River Water Trail
• Deschutes River Paddle Trail
• Lower Columbia River Water Trail
• Northwest Discovery Water Trail
• Siuslaw River Water Trail
• Tillamook County Water Trail
• Coos Regional Water Trail System
• Nehalem River Water Trail
Oregon’s Water Trail
Development Efforts