Columbia County approves 30-day pilot to manage weekend traffic at Sauvie Island beaches

Columbia County commissioners on June 25 approved a 30-day pilot allowing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement a traffic-management program on Reader Road and at Sauvie Island beaches, with vendor-operated check-in, free daily passes and enforcement coordination with the Oregon State Police.

The pilot, approved by board order (referred to in the meeting as Order 41 20 25), is intended to start about one-and-a-half to two weeks after the county issues the construction permit — a timeline county staff said could allow implementation over the July 4 holiday weekend. County staff and ODFW said they will monitor results and may request an extension or adjustments after the trial period.

Commissioners and staff said overcrowding and traffic safety have worsened on hot summer weekends and that a managed-entry system could reduce congestion and improve emergency access. Steve Nemela, Watershed Manager for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the board, “We’re about, a week and a half. Whenever we get the green light, we’ll be about a…