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Marine Board denies Maguire Island wake petition, opts for education with Metro
Summary
After reviewing safety data and navigational impacts, the board denied a petition to convert a pass-through channel to a slow-no-wake zone near Maguire Island and directed staff to work with Metro and Multnomah County on targeted education and ramp signage.
Staff presented a petition seeking to replace an existing pass-through zone on the south channel of Maguire Island with a slow-no-wake zone to protect floating homes and reduce wake damage. Policy staff showed maps of floating-home leases and pile fields and noted that converting the pass-through would significantly lengthen travel times between popular ramps (adding roughly 20 minutes at slow-no-wake speeds) and could shift traffic into deeper commercial channels or around Government Island.
Staff said law-enforcement data does not show a pattern of safety incidents in the south channel and that ODFW had not requested action to protect wildlife at that site. Given the limited statutory authority to regulate private-property impacts and the likely effect on recreational navigation, staff recommended denying the petition and implementing targeted education and signage at high-use ramps (Gleeson and Schmulke/Chinook Landing).
Board members agreed the petition raised real concerns for some homeowners but that enforcement and education are preferable first steps to changing navigation rules for a major Columbia River channel. The board voted to deny the petition and directed staff to coordinate with Metro and Multnomah County on outreach and improved informational signage at ramp access points.
