In the Media – Port of Hood River

July 31, 2020

Waterfront weekend closures, use restrictions now in effect Fridays also.

Conflicting uses and overcrowding prompt restrictions

HOOD RIVER, OR – Crowded beaches and conflicting uses of limited space have raised safety concerns for recreational sites on the Hood River waterfront. The Port of Hood River owns and operates most of the recreational facilities and announced new use restrictions and closures on July 25. Originally, the restrictions affecting parking at the Event Site and nearby N. 1st Street applied to Saturdays and Sundays only, but due to continued excessive crowding, the Port will now implement those restrictions on Fridays as well.

The Port will continue to monitor crowding and other safety conditions and may take further measures to close or restrict access to recreational sites if necessary.

EVENT SITE – (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only) The Event Site parking lot will be open to annual pass holders only. No day use passes will be sold. The parking lot will close to all users if overcrowding on the beach occurs. The south curb of the Event Site lot will remain closed to parking. Event Site users are urged to comply with the state mandate requiring masks when 6 feet of social distance cannot be maintained. Picnicking and group gatherings at the Event Site are discouraged, as this is a very active site used primarily for windsurfing and kiteboarding. SANDBAR – The Sandbar is an area of intense kiteboarding use and can be dangerous for spectators unaware of the sport’s space requirements. This area is accessed via the Spit parking lot and is not recommended for picnickers.LOT 1 – Closed to all vehicle parking.N. 1ST STREET PARKING LIMITED – (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only) There will be no parking allowed along the entire east side curb of N. 1st Street. This closure is to discourage crowding at Nichols Basin and Frog Beach.NICHOLS BASIN DOCK – Closed to the public due to overcrowding.FROG BEACH – Frog Beach will remain open, but users are urged to spread out or use the Marina Beach instead when the small beach area becomes too crowded. This beach has been very crowded with children and groups the past couple of weekends, raising alarm in the local community. Beach users are reminded to wear masks when 6 feet of social distance with people not from your own household cannot be maintained. MARINA BEACH – The Marina Beach will be closed to all kiteboarding activities, all days. This includes rigging, launching, and pump and dry on any dry sand or lawn area. Picnickers and family groups using the Marina Beach are urged to spread out and comply with the state mandate requiring masks when 6 feet of social distance with people not from your own household cannot be maintained. WATERFRONT PARK BEACH (City-owned facility) – The Waterfront Park beach is open, but users are reminded to spread out and wear masks when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained.WATERFRONT PARK PLAYGROUND (City-owned facility) – The playground area is closed until further notice.

The Port continues to receive calls, emails, and messages from residents and businesses alike urging closure of the recreational sites in response to overcrowding and non-compliance with mask mandates.

The Port encourages weekend visitors to stay closer to home and urges all users of Port recreational facilities to comply with all COVID-related safety mandates as well as use and parking restrictions, or further use limitations or closures may be imposed.

City and Port officials also urge visitors to all waterfront areas to come prepared to pack out their garbage and remind dog owners to keep dogs on leash and ensure proper disposal of dog waste.

For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

July 27, 2020

Single lane closures July 30 for guardrail repair

There will be single-lane closures on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge on Thursday, July 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for repairs to damaged guardrail. Flaggers will be on the bridge directing traffic around the moving work zone. Motorists should expect delays of approximately 20 minutes, depending on traffic volume.

For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

July 21, 2020

CROWDING FORCES CLOSURES, USE RESTRICTIONS AT HOOD RIVER WATERFRONT

HOOD RIVER, OR – Crowded beaches and conflicting uses of limited space have raised safety concerns for recreational sites on the Hood River waterfront. The Port of Hood River owns and operates most of the recreational facilities and announces the following changes that will go into effect July 25. These rules will apply all days unless noted below as Saturdays and Sundays only. The Port will continue to monitor crowding and other safety conditions and may take further measures to close or restrict access to recreational sites if necessary.

July 15, 2020

Port to implement Event Site parking limitations to discourage crowding, COVID-19 risk

The Port of Hood River owns and operates several recreational sites on the Hood River waterfront, including the popular windsurfing and kiteboarding beach known as the Event Site. Over the weekend of July 11-12, the Event Site became heavily crowded, prompting the Port to implement new restrictions on parking at the site. Originally planned to begin Saturday, July 18, these measures will now begin Friday, July 17 due to excessive crowding at the site.

Excessive crowding and non-compliance with social distancing and masking rules have also forced the closure of the popular Nichols Basin dock area on Friday. These measures will remain in place until further notice and the Port will continue to assess the occupancy and crowding of the various recreational sites on the waterfront and may take further action to close parks and open spaces due to crowding.

Additionally, Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s new statewide rule requiring everyone to wear masks in outdoor areas whenever 6 feet of social distancing is not possible goes into effect on Wednesday, July 15.

Beginning Friday, July 17 the following operational changes will begin at the waterfront:

Lot 1 will be closed to all vehicle parking. The Event Site parking lot will close when the Port determines the area’s “COVID capacity” has been reached. This will be determined not just by available parking spaces, but also crowding and the total number of people at the site. When the lot is closed it will remain closed until Port staff determines there is available capacity. This review will occur hourly. The parking spots along the south curb of the Event Site parking lot will be coned off and not available for parking. Nichols Basin boat dock is closed.

Waterfront Manager Daryl Stafford sent an email to local watersports groups on Tuesday urging them to share the information with their members and encourage them to:

“Explore different locations on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to reduce the number of park users. The Hook, Marina Beach, Hatchery, Rowena, Dougs, Swell City, Viento, and several locations east of Hood River are excellent choices. Let visitors know that there may not be parking available at the Event Site and that they should plan accordingly so they aren’t bummed out when they get here. When you are at the Event Site or any beach for that matter, spread out! This means gear as well. Try early or late. Mid-day is just too busy.” Finally, Stafford urged all watersports organizations and businesses that rely on the Event Site to “Support these efforts. We are trying our best to keep the Waterfront open for recreation.”

For more information, contact Daryl via email to waterfront@portofhoodriver.com.

July 6, 2020

Bridge deck and truss inspections require single-lane closures July 8-9.

There will be single-lane closures on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate bridge 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9 for ODOT required biennial fracture critical inspections. Flaggers will direct traffic around the moving work zone. Bridge users should expect delays of 20 minutes or more depending on traffic volume.

For more information contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

Waterfront weekend closures, use restrictions now in effect Fridays also.

Single lane closures July 30 for guardrail repair

CROWDING FORCES CLOSURES, USE RESTRICTIONS AT HOOD RIVER WATERFRONT

Port to implement Event Site parking limitations to discourage crowding, COVID-19 risk

Bridge deck and truss inspections require single-lane closures July 8-9.

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