POSTED: Jan. 24, 2022
The long-awaited Westport boat launch and dock facility will officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m.
It’s the culmination of a years-long effort by Clatsop County Parks, along with state agencies, the former landowner and private parties.
The project replaces the existing boat ramp and aging dock in the east-county community with a new ramp and adjacent boarding dock, plus a separate dock for non-motorized watercraft launching and short-term tie-ups. A paved parking lot with 46 vehicle-trailer spaces and 33 car spaces replaces the gravel parking area. The new facility also includes indoor restrooms and space for a full-time on-site host.
The Westport project was first envisioned in 2004 when the county and then-landowner, Georgia-Pacific Corp, first began discussions of a property transfer. The presence of contamination on the site, mostly diesel from long-ago mill activity, brought things to a halt as the property was enrolled in the state’s environmental clean-up program.
Following remediation, monitoring and a clean bill of health from the Department of Environmental Quality, the transfer was finally completed in 2014, enabling the county to apply for grants and begin the permit-approval process.
A variety of grants have made the project possible, including a total of almost $1.4 million from the Oregon State Marine Board, and $1 million from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Marine Board dollars come courtesy of the agency’s Boating Facility Grant Program, which invests fees and taxes from motorized boaters, and the Waterway Access Grant Program, which invests permit fees from 10-foot-and-longer non-motorized vessels, in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.
The Columbia River Yacht Club contributed $5,000 to the project.
Two special features of the project are a cradle-like launch platform for kayakers, as well as an ADA-compliant transition fixture offering easier access to watercraft for disabled users.
All these improvements make up Phase 1 of the project – the county plans to add an adjoining picnic area and playground later this year.