Whitewater Park Project for Oregon City Hits Final Rock

And that's a no.

After a months of discussion, there will not be a whitewater park coming to Oregon City as part of the renovation and restoration of the former site of the Blue Heron paper plant.

The decision came from Willamette Falls Legacy Project, the group overseeing the project - a coalition that includes representatives from Metro, Oregon City, the State of Oregon, and Clackamas County.

Last week, Oregon City, which had voted in favor of the project, reversed course, setting up the no vote by the larger group.

The whitewater park had been put forth by We Love Clean Rivers. The idea gained a lot of support from people who believed in its potential to generate revenue for the area.

At the same time, there were skeptics who were concerned it would add costs to the project that would take away from the overall plan to turn the site into a Riverwalk.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife also expressed concerns about the effect the project would have on salmon migration.

In the end, the skepticism won out. The development will now likely focus on the Riverwalk between the falls and Oregon City.

A series of possible designs are expected to be released in November.

Photo Colin Miner