Here are the logs and woody debris that were removed from the boat ramp at Bowman Park.
A mass of driftwood clogged the boat ramp at Albany’s Bowman Park over the last few weeks. But on Wednesday the logjam had been cleared away.
Logs and smaller bits of driftwood were piled up beside the upstream ramp, well out of the way of anyone trying to launch or take out a boat.
For much of the winter, the accumulation of debris had made the ramp unusable. Debris got jammed under the floating dock, and low water in the Willamette River prevented repairs.
The Albany Parks and Recreation Department waited until the river came up after recent rains to tackle the problem.
“The parks team spent time Monday and Tuesday clearing the debris,” Tommy Reeder, the city’s park and open space manager, told me Wednesday. “We are planning to have Republic Services drop a yard debris dumpster and will load the wood and have it hauled off.”
On Wednesday afternoon the upstream side of the dock looked fine. On the downstream side, a log sticking out of the water might still give boaters grief. But maybe not for long.
Said Reeder: “With water levels changing we will continue to monitor the dock and ramps and clear remaining debris as time and resources allow.” (hh)
The ramp looked clear on Wednesday except for that log still sticking up on the downstream side.
This is an ongoing problem. Same thing every year. They really need to build a new boat ramp. This one is in very poor condition.