Welcome to Oregon Kayaking, the premier paddling portal for Northwest Kayakers. Currently I have over 150 trip reports with photos detailing our adventures on some of the finest class III to V+ runs in the Pacific Northwest.
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This page gives me a chance to update you on the site and let you know what my plans are for the future. Also, feel free to contact me with your comments or suggestions; I always enjoy hearing from you!
Welcome, new friends and old; I hope you enjoy your visit.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at the email address shown below.

NEWS

(updated 2004)

THE MICRO-HYDRO THREAT


Big Hydro-power projects are no longer feasible due to environmental impact and the general resistance the destruction of Salmon habitat. However, a more insidious method of exploitation has arisen: Micro-Hydropower.

Micro-Hydro projects involve siphoning off smaller streams and funneling their flows through small generators. Canyon Creek Washington, Clearwater Creek, and others are currently facing this threat; your favorite stream could be next!

The best thing you can do to thwart this particular brand of environmental terrorism is to keep your ear to the ground, and when you hear about such a project, post on the list serves and stir up the hornet's nest a bit. Paddlers are getting more organized every day, which is going to be crucial in the years to come. Attendance at public hearings, joining American Whitewater, and writing letters to your political representative(s) is also critical.

It's been a pretty good season so far, with lots of rain and an enormous snowpack promising lots of Spring boating. Because of this, we have been ticking off a lot of exploratory stuff, like the SF Clack, Lower Bilyeu, and Cedar Creek that we have been thinking about for years.

In other news, the Marmot Dam on the Sandy and Little Sandy Dam on the Little Sandy are going to be removed within two years. This is a significant victory for all lovers of free-flowing rivers, and a gratifyingly sensible move by FERC. (now if we could only get them to take out that useless monstrosity on the Elwha..)





Declaration of Independence:

Though I have been approached by various companies I remain totally a totally independent site. I am fiercely devoted to the rivers and streams in the Northwest; protecting and increasing awareness about them (not a mutually exclusive goal, by the way..) is what this site is about, not making money!

There are those who would dam or divert our rivers and creeks; we need to be ready for them when they come. The very best thing you can do to protect our rivers is join American Whitewater. This non-profit organization is dedicated to protecting our streams, and they need your support!

I hope that you enjoy the site and all it brings to you. If you know about looming threats or new hazards on any of these streams, feel free to drop me an email!