Paddle Out on Willamette: Sept 8th

A clean ocean starts with clean rivers! Join Portland Chapter as we paddle across the Willamette River on Sept 8th to raise awareness for a clean watershed. Bring your surfboards, paddleboards, kayaks or canoes and join us! We'll meet at 12pm at the public dock underneath the SE side of the Hawthorne Bridge. There is parking available on SE Morrison St where it dead ends into the river trail. Guest speakers, prizes, refreshments and food will be provided. And, you'll have the chance to learn more about Surfrider's and other water quality groups' campaigns, upcoming events, and volunteer opportunities.

This Paddle Out will draw attention to Surfrider efforts to address water quality and storm water issues from the City of Portland to the mouth of the Columbia and north coast. Water quality issues in Portland, that may be seemingly unrelated to the coast, are in fact intricately connected via rivers and streams that transport urban water quality issues to our beaches and coastlines. Specifically, the Willamette River is the conduit for millions of gallons of water, sediment, and unfortunately, pollution each day. Surfrider Portland and other groups will be discussing their programs and highlighting federal legislation (Beach Protection Act 2007 and Raw Sewage Overflow Community Right To Know Act) that would benefit river and coastal water quality monitoring and awareness. They will also be highlighting and distributing free copies of Surfrider’s State of the Beach Report 2007, published in Portland with the theme of water quality.