Photo: ODFW

To manage ongoing traffic and parking problems at Sauvie Island Wildlife Area’s beaches, ODFW is introducing a new limited-entry parking pilot program.

Starting July 4, vehicles will need a free Sauvie Island Beaches Pass in addition to the Wildlife Area Parking Permit ($10 daily) to park on weekends and holidays at the beaches’ parking lots—Walton Beach, Collins Beach, Willow Bar and North Unit. A check station will be in effect on some weekends and holidays to check vehicles for the Pass and Permit.

During hot summer weather, many people flock to Sauvie Island’s beaches to swim in the Columbia River. On weekends and holidays, vehicles can outnumber parking spaces by a large margin, leading to traffic jams and safety issues.

The over-capacity of vehicles threatens public safety and wildlife habitat. Visitors who can’t find a parking spot park on dry grass along roads, creating a fire risk. Emergency vehicles have been unable to quickly reach the beaches due to traffic jams and double parking.

The level of traffic and parking problems also damages riparian wildlife habitat along the beaches of Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, which is set aside primarily as wildlife habitat for migratory birds. Finally, it impacts residents of Sauvie Island, who report visitors parking on their property and jamming roads, leaving them unable to travel or leave the island on weekends.

“Parking during summer weekends has been an ongoing problem for residents, wildlife area staff, emergency response and law enforcement,” said Steve Niemela, ODFW North Willamette District Watershed Manager. “We are testing this new pilot program to see if we can address these problems, reduce impacts to wildlife habitat and residents, and also improve the visitor experience. This pilot program will end after the Labor Day weekend.”

“We urge everyone wanting to visit the beaches on weekends and holidays to get their Beaches Pass and Parking Permit before coming to Sauvie Island,” added Niemela.

“I have worked this area for over 16 years and in the last several years we have seen a huge increase in recreational use on the Sauvie Island beaches, particularly during periods of hot weather,” said SFC Luke Schwartz, OSP Fish and Wildlife Division. “This has created overcrowding on the beaches and in the parking areas, resulting in significant public safety issues.”

ODFW is working with Columbia County to obtain an initial 30-day permit for a traffic control check station on Reeder Road. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners supports this effort to address ongoing parking challenges and will continue partnering with ODFW to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.

“This is about keeping people safe and making sure we can respond when there’s an emergency,” said Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley. “We appreciate ODFW’s partnership on this pilot program and hope it helps ease the traffic issues that have challenged first responders, residents, and visitors for years.”

How the Beaches Pass works

A limited number of free Sauvie Island Beaches Passes will be available in ODFW’s licensing system for each summer weekend day and holiday. Passes become available about two weeks prior to the weekend on Thursday mornings at 7 a.m. Passes are now available for July 4-6 and July 12-13.

As availability is limited, visitors are encouraged to obtain a Beaches Pass before making the trip to Sauvie Island. Cell phone coverage can also be limited on Sauvie Island. Note the pass does not guarantee a parking spot at the lot of your choice; typically Walton Beach is the most popular parking area.

Only vehicles traveling to the Beaches (parking at Walton Beach, Collins Beach, Willow Bar and North Unit) are required to have the Beaches Pass. Vehicles parking in other parts of Sauvie Island Wildlife Area are only required to have the Wildlife Area Parking Permit.

How to purchase

Both Beaches Passes and Wildlife Area Parking Permits can be purchased online or by visiting a license sale agent. Customers are limited to one Beaches Pass per date.

To purchase online:

Go to MyODFW.com and click Buy License.
Use “Check Out as a Guest” or create an account for easier future purchasing.
Select the free Sauvie Island Beaches Pass for the date you want to visit; purchase a daily or annual Wildlife Area Parking Permit ($10/$30) if needed.
When Checking Out as a Guest, be sure to provide an email so a PDF of the documents can be emailed to you.
Display the Parking Permit and Beaches Pass on your car when parked: Print out the documents at home or at a license agent OR write your ODFW ID (transaction number if you are a guest) on a piece of paper and put it on your car dash. (ODFW staff and law enforcement patrolling the area are able to look up your ODFW ID or transaction number to confirm possession of the pass and permit.)

Check station in effect some weekend hours

During some weekends and hours, vehicles entering the beach area north of Rentenaar Road will need to show both a valid Wildlife Area Parking Permit and the Sauvie Island Beaches Pass at the East Side Check Station on Reeder Road. These can be displayed in one of several ways:

Printing a copy of both documents.
Screenshot (or show your phone screen) of both documents: Show the PDF sent to your email after purchase, or login to your MyODFW.com account and show documents from your Recreational Portfolio.
Display documents in the MyODFW phone app (account required).

This information is also available at sauvieislandparking.com.

Source: ODFW