Page 129 - Clackamas County Watertourism Strategic Plan. Final.v3

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WATER-BASED TOURISM IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON THE OPPORTUNITIES
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Mobility Impaired Anglers and Paddlers: Access to water can be difficult for people with no disability, so anyone who is mobility impaired has significant Put Clackamas
barriers to, or is outright prevented from, accessing the same recreational opportunities. There are few differences “On the Map”
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between people with disabilities and people without disabilities in their preferred outdoor recreation experiences .
They both want the same outdoor recreation opportunities, so accessible facilities are the major impediment to
capturing this market. If Clackamas County created a long-term capital improvement plan specifically for accessible
water based recreational facilities, then it might be the first in the nation to pay such close attention to this issue
and help put the county on the map. This Plan should be integrated into the existing County capital improvement
plan however the projects can be separated into one group to demonstrate the sincere effort the County is taking. This market niche is
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a large and growing market segment in America and with the aging of the baby boomers it will continue to grow. Mobility impact
access the Willamette in Gladstone, West Linn and Milwaukie present excellent opportunities. The DMO should advertise these new
improvements to organizations like Oregon Adaptive Sports (http://oregonadaptivesports.org/); Disabled Sports USA (http://www.disabledsportsusa.org/); Oregon Paralyzed
Veterans of America (http://www.oregonpva.org/); Accessible Nature (https://www.accessiblenature.info) and many others.
Recommendation 39: Hold Annual Fishing Tournaments.
Fishing derbies and tournaments can generate a significant amount of excitement and infusion of cash for local businesses.
Fishing tournaments in Oregon can (and do) attract anglers and their families from throughout the Western United States. There
are two general types of fishing competitions: one that generates serious competitors that may be qualifying events for national
competitions, and more informal events that involve a broader audience and more relaxed rules. The first type has larger prizes
with opportunities to qualify and compete nationally while the other type generates more local interest. The economic impact
for fishing tournaments have been measured: total economic impacts of Salmon and Trout tournaments in Michigan are known
to generate approximately $578,000 in one weekend event; Elite Series Bass Masters Events can attract 20,000 to 30,000 people.
The Sabine River Challenge in Orange, Texas attracted 33,650 people and on the St Lawrence River in New York 34,100 people
showed up and generated approximately 3 million in expenditures, of which 25% was non-fishing related purchases. The Destin
fishing Rodeo in Destin Florida distributes of $100,000 in cash prizes and attracts 36,000 people from 27 states and 5 countries
which generates 5.2 million in revenue to local economy. Fishing competitions in Oregon occur throughout the state but they
are not well known and few if any occur in Clackamas County. Sturgeon, Steelhead, and Salmon competitions are held in and around the Columbia River basis. Oregon Bass
Masters posts an annual event calendar, but none are in Clackamas County. There are several ideal locations in the county to hold fishing tournaments including: Oregon City’s
waterfront; Estacada; and Bernert Landing in West Linn. Completions can be held for salmon, steelhead, trout, bass, shad, and others. If the County is seeking to increase
visitation and economic impacts through water-based tourism, then fishing competitions may offer one of best ways to meet this goal. Over a 5-year incubation period, the
county could become host to a large, high-quality event with excellent prize money and corporate sponsorship.