UPDATED OCTOBER 2024: Upper Rogue Update: Jet Boats & More
October 2024 Update:
Thank you to those who submitted comments in defense of the Rogue on this issue. Following the rulemaking period regarding jet boat use on the Upper Rogue that closed Oct. 16, the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) received 800 comments from the public, over 580 comments via the online form on the Rogue Riverkeeper website. On October 23, the OSMB met and proposed a rule for power boats on the Upper Rogue. OSMB staff drafted the proposed rule, which generally followed ODFW recommendations given at the hearing as it related to offering some protections to Spring Chinook salmon and other native fish, they did not take into account the larger environmental effects of hundreds of trips by large high speed boats on water quality, food webs, and aquatic and riparian habitats even though they were presented with a thorough literature review of many studies demonstrating those impacts.
The proposed rule will allow motorized boats over 10 horsepower to operate seasonally on the Upper Rogue River between May 8th and September 10th.
During this time period, charter (also known as “commercial”) operators can operate between Fisher’s Ferry County Park and Rattlesnake Rapid. All other (private, non-commercial) motor boats can be operated a little further upstream from Fishers Ferry to Dodge Bridge County Park.
Outside of the aforementioned time period, no motorized boats over 10 horsepower are allowed between Fishers Ferry County Park and Lost Creek Dam. This part of the rule is a win for the river as it is a ban on high speed boats above Dodge Bridge and will benefit the environment and eliminate risk and conflict from jet boats on this one section of the river.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Marine Board will meet on January 23, 2025, and may make a motion to adopt, amend, or take other action on the proposed rulemaking. The agency will host a public hearing on December 4, in Medford at the Rogue Community College. When it is made public, Rogue Riverkeeper will share the details re. this hearing.
Written comments will be accepted regarding this proposed rulemaking until December 20, by 12:55 pm. Comments can be submitted by email to osmb.rulemaking@boat.oregon.gov or by U.S. Mail to Jennifer Cooper, Administrative Rules Coordinator, Oregon State Marine Board, 435 Commercial Street NE, Salem, OR 97301.
To view the public hearing notice and proposed rule language, visit https://www.oregon.gov/osmb/info/Pages/Rulemaking-and-Public-Notices.aspx.
Thank you to the hundreds of you who have already submitted comments to the OSMB and other agencies regarding this issue. Your comments had an impact in bringing this issue to the attention of the OSMB, even though we did not receive all the protections we may have asked for. Even if this rule is adopted, it is still to be determined if there will be any enforcement of the new rules and how the charter operators behave going forward. We will remain watchful.
September 2024 Update:
The Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) has “opened rulemaking” on the Upper Rogue, meaning they are now willing to consider possible regulation on jet boat activity on this section of the Rogue. If you would like to weigh in on this issue to help protect Rogue River water quality, native fish and other aquatic wildlife, and safe multi-use recreation, please take action today! The comment period will be open until Wednesday, October 16th.
Rogue Riverkeeper is requesting that the Marine Board not allow commercial and private jet boats in the Upper Rogue River upstream of the Table Rock Road bridge and enact a 15 horsepower limitation on all watercraft operating from the bridge to Lost Creek Dam.
No regulations on jet boat use are currently in place in the Upper Rogue to limit environmental impacts or to protect spawning native fish or the spawning gravel required by salmon to reproduce successfully. Wakes and hydraulic turbulence from jet boats dislodge sediment, vegetation, and aquatic life from the banks and riverbed causing increases in river turbidity and masses of vegetation to float downstream covering and disturbing the macroinvertebrates which are a critical part of the food web and a food source for juvenile and adult native fish. There are other sections of the Rogue River that already alllow jet boat activity. Let’s keep the Upper Rogue with its narrower and shallower channel, protected for quiet recreation and wildlife.
There are four ways to provide public comment to the Oregon State Marine Board:
Send a written comment to the Oregon State Marine Board electronically by clicking here.
Send a personalized written comment via post. Public comment will be accepted in writing until 5:00 pm on October 16, 2024 and can be sent by US mail to Oregon State Marine Board, Attn: Jennifer Cooper, 435 Commercial St NE Ste 400 Salem, OR 97301.
Provide a verbal public comment online during an October 2 public hearing in Medford. Contact Jennifer Cooper at jennifer.cooper@boat.oregon.gov to get registered no later than 5:00 pm on September 27, 2024.
If you would like to provide comments in person at an October 2 public hearing in Medford, please sign in at the sign in table when you arrive. Public comment will end promptly at 4:00 pm. Any speakers who have not had the opportunity to provide comments can submit their comments in writing.
The Oregon State Marine Board public hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 2nd at 8:30am at the Rogue Community College Medford Campus Room HEC 129A/B. Public testimony will be taken from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. Testimony will be limited to 2 to 3 minutes. Invited groups only will be testifying in the morning. Please consider attending and providing verbal and written testimony. To provide oral testimony virtually, register with Jennifer Cooper via email at jennifer.cooper@boat.oregon.gov no later than 5 pm on September 27th, 2024.
The meeting will be held in person and will be livestreamed via Teams Town Hall. Watch the work session here. Watch public comment here (please note that this link does not allow viewers to speak).
Talking Points:
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No regulations on jet boat use are currently in place in the Upper Rogue to limit environmental impacts on the Rogue or to protect spawning native fish or the spawning gravel required by salmon to reproduce successfully. The gravel and other substrate as well as the shoreline are all vulnerable to the regular wakes and turbulence created by jet boats.
Studies of jet boat impacts on rivers in Alaska, and elsewhere highlight the damage that jet boats can cause to salmon habitat. The risk of harm increases with the frequency of trips and in the upper reaches of rivers where the channel is smaller and narrower as can be the case in the Upper Rogue.
Spring Chinook Salmon use this section of the Rogue to spawn and they are struggling to survive. These fish have been petitioned for listing and could be on the Endangered Species List any day now. Why are we spending resources to protect these species from extinction and then allow this type of recreation to put those fish at risk?
Fish use energy when disturbed by jet boats. Summer Steelhead and Spring Chinook spend numerous months in the upper Rogue River storing energy to spawn in the fall and early winter. Commercial jet boat tours disturb these fish throughout the summer season.
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Wakes and hydraulic turbulence from jet boats dislodge sediment, vegetation, and aquatic life from the banks and riverbed causing increases in river turbidity and masses of vegetation to float downstream covering and disturbing the macroinvertebrates which are a critical part of the food web and a food source for juvenile and adult native fish.
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Rogue Jet Boat Adventures, a commercial company that operates out of TouVelle State Park claims to have served 14,000 customers last year with its three boats (a 25-passenger, an 18-passenger, and a 10-passenger boat). These huge jet boats travel up and down this narrow section of the upper Rogue River, sometimes multiple times a day, all summer long.
A new type of craft, mini-jet boats, which are unregulated and just as damaging, are also starting to appear. The operation of these boats disrupts the river ecosystem in ways that are harmful and not natural and has a negative impact on the food web and river environment.
The rules of Denman Wildlife Area prohibit the use of motorized watercraft to protect wildlife, yet jet boats are allowed to speed up and down the section of the Rogue River that bisects the Denman Wildlife Area, disturbing wildlife and refuge users.
The in-water work window for this section of the Rogue River is June 15 to August 31. This is to protect salmon and steelhead. The frequent trips of jet boats can cause more disturbance than a work project in the river and should not be allowed to operate outside of this timeline.
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Jet boat use in the Upper Rogue River is not safe for people on the jet boat or for other river users because the river in this area is too narrow and often too shallow to safely accommodate jet boats and other river users. The recent high speed collision between two jet boats downstream of Grants Pass shows that accidents involving jet boats can and do occur.
In many cases, the jet boats need to operate at high speeds just to navigate shallow rapids and there are many blind spots on the Upper Rogue where jet boats need to travel at high speeds to navigate. There are plenty of downstream sections of the Rogue that allow jet boats. We seek to retain this section of river for quiet recreation like floating, swimming, and fishing which is incompatible with jet boats.
Oregon State Marine Board’s mission is to serve Oregon’s recreational boating public through education, enforcement, access, and environmental stewardships for a safe and enjoyable experience. Since the increased use of commercial jet boats on the upper Rogue River, the marine board's mission of serving Oregon's boating through environmental stewardship has been neglected.
Historically, the Upper Rogue River has been a place to peacefully and safely live, recreate, and enjoy nature and the outdoors. This area had mainly been used for non-motorized boating from drift boats, rafts, inflatables, kayaks, and paddle boards; guided, bank, wade and boat fishing; hiking, birdwatching, picnicking, dog-walking, swimming and just a place to peacefully enjoy the outdoors. The public’s use and enjoyment of the river and these public lands are adversely affected by jet boat operations and threatened by the future proliferation of jet boats in the Upper Rogue River.
July 2024
If you have been following the work of Rogue Riverkeeper, you know that for the last few years, we have been working to reduce the impacts of high power jet boats, particularly on the Upper Rogue River. The frequent trips of large boats on the Upper Rogue, which is narrower and shallower than the downstream sections of the Rogue, have impacts on water quality and aquatic ecosystems that are already facing many challenges.
Commercial jetboat on the Upper Rogue River. Credit: Whitney Hassett
This spring and early summer, in response to the ongoing conflicts on the Upper Rogue between user groups and concerns over jet boat impacts, four state agencies engaged with Oregon’s Kitchen Table (OKT) to solicit input on the management of the Upper Rogue River. The summary report on the “community conversations” that were held via several in-person meetings and online surveys was recently released. Between mid-May and early July, more than 2,600 people engaged in this process, demonstrating a range of people who enjoy and use the Upper Rogue River in many different ways. The summary report was a good snapshot of the process and the viewpoints heard and highlighted some of the discussions and possible solutions. The report generated overall themes and specific ideas proposed to resolve conflicts as well as recommendations for future engagement.
As jet boats are at the core of this issue, it’s important to understand what we are talking about on the Rogue. Commercial jet boat trips occur primarily on three different sections of the Rogue River:
Lower Rogue River (launching from near the mouth of the Rogue River at Gold Beach: e.g. Jerry’s Jet Boats)
Middle Rogue (launching from Grants Pass: e.g. Hellgate Jetboat Excursions)
Upper Rogue (launching from TouVelle State Recreation Site near Central Point: e.g. Rogue Jet Adventures)
“Over the past few years, controversy related to jet boat use, access, and activities at TouVelle State Recreation Site spurred larger discussions about the use of the river in and beyond the park. There are currently no special state rules specific to jet boat operation on this stretch of the Rogue, but comments received by the state have revealed that people are concerned about current and future uses.”
One of the recommendations from the Oregon’s Kitchen Table report is “future rulemaking.” The agency that regulates boating in Oregon is the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) which, like other state agencies, is governed by a volunteer board. These volunteers represent different geographic regions of the state and different boating activities. Of the five members of the board, one is a Jackson County resident and employed by Jackson County as the Roads and Parks Director.
There are currently few restrictions on the use of motor boats on the Rogue River other than they are not allowed between Grave Creek and Blossom Bar in the lower Rogue Wild section during certain times of the year.
Personal watercraft, commonly known as “jet skis,” are small vessels propelled by an inboard water jet engine. Riders sit or stand on the vessel rather than inside it. These craft are regulated differently than motor boats. There are sections of the Rogue where jet skis are not allowed including upstream of the former Gold Ray Dam site.
While “mini jet boats” are small and propelled by a jet engine like a jet ski, riders sit or stand inside the vessel so they are considered boats and are regulated like other motor boats on the Rogue and allowed on most of the Rogue and tributaries.
At the Oregon State Marine Board meeting on July 24, the Board “opened rulemaking” for the Upper Rogue River. What this means is that the Board officially requested staff to hold a meeting, scheduled for October 2, to hear invited testimony with representatives from all sides and to have an open public comment period. After that, the Board will consider the information received at the public meeting on whether to pursue a rule for boat operations at its October 23 quarterly meeting. If the Board approves a new rule, there will be an additional public comment period on the proposed rule language between the end of October and the January 2025 quarterly meeting.
The Marine Board meeting time and location as well as instructions on how to submit written comments, is expected by mid-September. There will be several organizations providing invited testimony on Oct. 2 including the Upper Rogue Guardians, the collaborative group with which Rogue Riverkeeper has been working on this issue. There will be at least a three-week period where people can submit written comments. We will keep you informed as to how and where to submit comments.
And what about the commercial operator Rogue Jet Adventures?
Rogue Jet Boats operating out of Touvelle State Recreation Site. Credit: Jamie Lusch
As of late August, Rogue Jet Adventures is continuing to operate regular and frequent trips using TouVelle State Recreation Site, although the business has no special use permit to do so. The business has a large sign at the entrance of TouVelle State Recreation Site and is now only using the state park site for their customers' parking. The Oregon Parks & Recreation Department has now disallowed Rogue Jet Adventures from using their park property to install a temporary dock, but Jackson County’s Parks & Roads Director—the same individual who is a member of the Oregon State Marine Board—has now provided Rogue Jet Adventures with a permit to use the county right-of-way under the Table Rock Road bridge to load passengers. Rogue Jet Adventures has now installed their temporary dock and loads passengers there. The Rogue Jet Adventures generally take several boats a day, including 25 and 18 seater boats, from TouVelle, upstream to Rattlesnake Rapids, then downstream past TouVelle to the “Discovery Park” owned by Rogue Jet Adventures near Kendall Slough.
It is clear from their actions and comments that Jackson County representatives, including the elected Board of Commissioners, the County Administrator, and the Director of Parks & Roads are all to varying degrees supportive of the one business, Rogue Jet Adventures, whose operations have an impact on this section of the river as well as other businesses such as fishing guides using other types of craft.
Next steps:
Stay in touch with Rogue Riverkeeper and we will let you know soon how to submit written comments to the Marine Board as they open rulemaking on jet boats on the Upper Rogue. Considering the ongoing issues with Rogue Jet Adventures at TouVelle State Recreation Site, the recent serious accident between two jet boats in the middle Rogue, and the need to protect water quality and a functional aquatic habitat in the Upper Rogue, we will continue to take a stand for the river, be an active participant in the rulemaking process, collaborate with community members, and strategize with legal experts and others as we seek to protect the values that we cherish regarding the Rogue. We will work to sustain the Upper Rogue as a sanctuary for humans and a stronghold for native fish. Please join us in this work.
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