Page 117 - Clackamas County Watertourism Strategic Plan. Final.v3

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WATER-BASED TOURISM IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON THE OPPORTUNITIES
6-14

Physical
Middle and Lower Clackamas River Corridor
Improvements

The Middle Section of the Clackamas River is anchored by the City of Estacada on the north side of the river and Milo McIver State Park to the south
with a series of three hydroelectric impoundments providing flatwater paddling, swimming, and warm water fishing opportunities. The City has been
unable to capitalize on river tourism to the extent possible due to its location and physical infrastructure. The recommendations for the Middle
Clackamas River are intended to increase tourism opportunities for Estacada City.
Recommendation 20: Pedestrian Bridge Connecting Milo McIver State Park to Estacada
Approximately 400,000 people visit Milo McIver State Park annually. While no data exist to show how many of them visit Estacada City, anecdotally it
is known to be very few. A pedestrian bridge would allow easy access from the campground to downtown and increase foot traffic to local merchants
and restaurants.

The Lower Clackamas River is the most used river section the county. On warm summer days the river can appear as if there is a well-known river
festival occurring. The river in this section is fun and friendly. Certain sections can be remote, the fishing is excellent, the swimming holes and
beaches are plentiful, and the scenery is beautiful. However, this is also the section where most of the user conflicts occur. The river needs a river
management scheme that can accommodate its level of visitation. Two physical improvements are recommended to help ease the pressures that the
river is experiencing:
Recommendation 21: Improve Feldhiemer Boat Launch
The Feldhiemer boat launch is in rough condition. The ramp is not conducive for small vehicles and has little official parking. Improvements on these
facilities would increase the usage here and help relieve the traffic congestion at Milo McIver State Park (the next launch upstream).

Recommendation 22: Promote Mass Transit Use with Bus Stops at Barton and Carver Parks
The Barton to Carver float can be done today on mass transit. Trimet’s #30-line to Estacada will pick up passengers in Carver and take them to Barton
in 17 minutes. However, both stops are a considerable distance to the river if you are walking with packs, and river equipment. The county should
provide stops in the parking lots of these Parks to encourage mass transit use and ease the pressure on the traffic and parking in these Parks.