Regional leaders hit the Tualatin River for friendly competition, bragging rights

By Geoff Pursinger

The Beaverton Valley Times, Jul 29, 2010

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Beaverton Mayor Dennis Doyle might not want to quit his day job to become a professional kayaker.

The mayor and his wife took to the Tualatin River with more than a dozen other city officials July 22, as part of the fourth annual Mayor’s Challenge & Legislative Paddle Race, which pitted municipality against municipality for a year’s worth of bragging rights in what has become a yearly tradition.

The race, put on by the Tualatin Riverkeepers, was meant to bring attention to the Tualatin River Water Trail, the Riverkeeper’s effort to extend public access along 40 miles of the river, which has no boat ramps or river access points between Rock Creek and Sherwood.

“Folks in the paddling community don’t mention the Tualatin River in their guide books because it doesn’t have good access,” said Monica Smiley, executive director for the Tualatin Riverkeepers. “This is a resource for beyond our watershed, but most people experience the Tualatin by driving over it along I-5. They don’t see what an incredible resource it is.”

The racers were there to show their support for the Water Trail project, which is working to raise $20,000 to finalize its campaign strategy, and leverage private and public funding for four river access points between Hillsboro and Sherwood, including one at Farmington Bridge, west of Beaverton, and at Metro’s Natural Area on Southwest Munger Lane in the Scholls area.

Racers included mayors from cities all along the Tualatin River, including Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Wiley and Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen, as well as Metro councilors, members of the Tualatin Valley Water District, state representatives and candidates running for county office.

In total, 16 boats took to the water in two divisions; single racers and tandem kayaks of two racers.

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