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Board adopts mapped whitewater exemption to waterway‑access permit
Summary
The board approved an amendment defining a mapped whitewater exemption for certain technical class‑4 reaches without launch facilities, allowing those runs to be exempt from the new waterway-access permit requirement. The exemption will be published as a map layer on the agency’s online waterway map.
The board adopted an OAR amendment to implement a legislatively authorized whitewater exemption to the new waterway-access permit. Policy manager Alan Hansen explained the exemption targets technical whitewater reaches that lack public launch facilities and used the American Whitewater map as a base for delineation. Rather than list GPS coordinates, staff will publish a mapped layer on the agency’s online waterway-access map so paddlers can check whether a planned run is exempt.
Hansen said public comment came primarily from paddling organizations; staff incorporated additional river sections provided by American Whitewater and clarified that the exemption is intended to be narrow. The board voted to finalize the rule as presented and asked staff to publish and notify paddling groups and the public where the exemption applies.
