Photo Credit: Kat Ricker
Chehalem Paddle Launch provides water recreationalists a place to rent a kayak, canoe, or paddle board, and enjoy a peaceful paddle on the Willamette River, in Dundee, Ore. To Chehalem Park and Recreation District (CPRD), the launch provides a great example of a ground-level dream becoming a reality through the passion and dedication of volunteers. It also provides a modest source of revenue on a seasonal basis, which has been repeated during its first four years of operation.
This popular fee-based paddle launch met a need of the area: public recreation on the river. While motorcrafts have enjoyed easy access through a county launch, local kayakers and canoeists either held their own against the wake of water motorists, or found access to quieter spots through private landowners.
The stretch of Willamette River, where the paddle launch is situated, is rimmed with alder, cottonwood, dogwood, and a native understory filled with birdlife. This water trail is on a slow-moving channel formerly used as a log-raft site. Remnants of the partitioning structures—wing dam pilings—provide aesthetic character and deter motorboats, making the spot ideal for paddlers. The channel divides into a faster-moving main channel and a slower-moving shallow channel around small, uninhabited Ash Island. Experienced paddlers can circumnavigate the island in about an hour. Those who are new to the activity, families with children, and people who like to take an easy pace should plan on about 1½ hours. Paddlers looking for a shorter excursion can explore the mouth of Chehalem Creek in a comfortable half hour. Either way, paddlers experience calm water, varied plant life, and dozens of bird species, including ospreys, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, and herons. Blue Heron Rookery is located on the entrance to Chehalem Creek.