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| City regatta provides introduction to natural areas DARLENE VINSON THE MID-COUNTY MEMO The 12th Annual Columbia Slough Small Craft Regatta on Sunday, July 30 brought hundreds of people to the canoe launch at Northeast 165th Avenue and Airport Way. Some like Columbia Slough Watershed Council founders Susan Barthel, Linda Robinson, Chuck Harrison and Alice Blatt have been involved since the beginning. Others like Trudy Toliver, a life long Portland resident, have never paddled the slough. Deb Furry, another regatta participant said she “looks for any excuse to be on the water and score someplace new.” And that according to Barthel is what this event is all about. “We’re really dedicated to the idea that people will love and value what they come to understand. If you get onto the water, you’re going to feel differently about a waterway that otherwise you just look at while you’re driving over it,” she said. Robinson may have said it best when she proclaimed, “This isn’t just cruddy, murky water. Get on it and find out that it has more potential than you might think.” The regatta has grown over the years. Robinson said there were 60 paddlers the first year, nearly 100 the next. Participants can reserve a canoe or kayak, paddles and personal flotation device through the Council for a nominal fee prior to the event or bring their own equipment. It was estimated that 400-500 folks would launch during the event this year, approximately a third of them using equipment provided by the Council. Weather sometimes plays a role. The year that temperatures topped 100 degrees, it seemed all the paddlers arrived early in the morning and then stopped to take a cooling dip before returning to the launch point. The regatta launches from a different point on the 18-mile long slough each year. There are eight launch points between Fairview Lake in east Multnomah County and Kelley Point Park where the slough joins the Willamette and Columbia rivers. While it is possible to paddle the full length of the slough, a few portages will be necessary. The launch site used for this year’s regatta is located in the Big 4 Corners Natural Area and is a 40-Mile Loop Trailhead. The Columbia Slough Regatta annual slough is the largest one-day paddle in Oregon. Paddlers at any point along the slough may spot river otter, beaver and deer along the banks and fresh water mussels in the mudflats. Birders have documented 175 species of birds, including osprey, kingfisher and great blue heron. Twenty-five species of fish have been identified. The slough provides calm waters suitable for family exploration. There is no concern about river traffic or rough water. Barthel explained that the council seeks to get at least 1500 people a year on the water and that they encourage paddling, walking and bicycling tours; host events that expose residents to issues about groundwater and wildlife; and provide educational programs for 5000 students each year. Through the Columbia Slough Watershed Council you can get involved in workshops, planting events, restoration projects and even wildlife and water quality monitoring projects. The Columbia Slough is a 60-square-mile watershed on the floodplain of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. It includes approximately 32,000 acres, six lakes, three ponds, and 50 miles of waterways. The Upper and Lower Columbia Slough are each approximately nine miles long. The Columbia Slough is a beautiful, natural setting smack dab in the middle of our city. You are encouraged to explore this neighborhood resource. To learn why the health of the Columbia Slough is vital, visit www.columbiaslough.org.
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