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- World Class Canoeing River
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- Kenneth Knudsen fishes for summer steelhead and spring Chinook on the Clackamas River.
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- Play boating on the Upper Clackamas Wild and Scenic River
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- Getting drinking water from healthy rivers is affordable and sustainable.
We PADDLE in it. We FISH in it. We PLAY in it. And we Drink it!
Please remember that the Clackamas River supplies drinking water to over 300,000 Oregonians, and is home to an abundance of native wildlife.
The federally and state protected waterway provides drinking water to Estacada, Gladstone, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Tigard, West Linn, and to other areas in Clackamas County (through Clackamas River Water district, Oak Lodge Water Services and Sunrise Water Authority).
Sustaining this precious resource is one of our top priorities. Help us be a part of the solution:
- Stash Your Trash – use a Stash the Trash bag stocked at most parks throughout the summer by the Clackamas River Basin Council.
- River Cleanups – organize your own while you float the river, or sign up for the annual Down the River Clean-up to help keep trash out of the Clackamas.
- Clean-up After Your Pets – dispose of pet waste properly by picking it up and disposing of it in a toilet or garbage can, so that it doesn’t wash into the river with the rain.
- Use Restrooms! – Human waste in our rivers threatens fish and wildlife and can cause human illnesses such as hepatitis or gastro-enteritis. If a toilet is not available, bury all human waste and toilet paper at least six inches below the ground, and at least 200 feet away from the edge of a river or any other water source.
- Stay on Trails – it helps keep stream banks from eroding. Exposed bare soil can runoff when it rains. This runoff can cause water pollution that contaminates drinking water and disrupts the ecosystem of our river and wetlands.
- Adopt Clean Boating Practices – Protect the Clackamas by taking the clean boater pledge today, and read more in the “Clean Boater Guide.”
- Become a River Ambassador – Share these tips with those enjoying our beautiful river so we can keep ourselves and the Clackamas healthy.
We all play a role in preserving this vital drinking water resource.
Whether you’re a resident, business owner, employee, farmer, or just playing in the river, you can make a difference. By preserving the Clackamas River as a high-quality drinking water source, we can help minimize future drinking water treatment costs while being good stewards of the river.
A safe, reliable water supply is critical to the success of our communities. It creates jobs, attracts industry and investment, and provides for the health and welfare of our citizens from disease prevention to fire suppression.
Kimberly Swan, Water Resource Manager
Clackamas River Water Providers
