OPB’s First Look: What’s a navigable waterway anyway?

Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.

Good morning, Northwest.

When Oregon became a state, it claimed ownership of major rivers used for commerce and transportation, denoting them as “navigable” waterways.

But disagreements and even lawsuits have emerged over what’s considered a navigable waterway in Oregon. OPB’s Kristian Foden-Vencil reports on the issue to start today’s newsletter.

Yesterday’s edition of First Look included an errant link to our story about legalized psilocybin research by OHSU. You can find that story here. OPB regrets the error.

Here’s your First Look at Friday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Only 14 Oregon rivers are ‘navigable.’ The other 100,000 miles of waterways are in legal limbo

Three Rivers is a tributary of the Nestucca River on the northern Oregon Coast. One particular fishing hole, 3 miles south of Hebo, sits just below the Cedar Creek Fish Hatchery.

The land next to this fishing hole is publicly owned, so lots of people come here to fish when the season is open. But a few yards downstream, a thick piece of wire is strung across the river indicating privately owned land.

In June, property owners Gary Stover, ACC Outdoors LLC and Nicholas Stover filed suit against anglers Andrew Hunter, Anthony Collins and Kent Floro for trespassing along this stretch. They’re seeking damages of $100,000 from each defendant.

Plaintiffs say the anglers fished on their land, but the anglers argue that under Oregon’s statehood laws, the river is navigable and therefore they’re within their rights to wade through the water and fish.

The state has designated a list of 14 officially navigable rivers. So that leaves about 100,000 miles of waterways undesignated. (Kristian Foden-Vencil)

Learn More

3 things to know

• As Oregon’s grueling wildfire season drags into the last weeks of August, nearly 1,600 wildfires have burned 2.4 million acres, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Containment has risen for many of the fires going into the final stretch of summer, leading to lower evacuation levels. (Casey Frizzell)
• Backers of a stalled initiative to use money from the Portland Clean Energy Funds to hire police officers filed a lawsuit yesterday accusing local elections officials of discrimination and calling for an independent signature recount. (Troy Brynelson and Alex Zielinski)
• The biotechnology company Genentech is pouring $750 million into a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Hillsboro that is expected to create 450 new jobs in manufacturing and construction, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office announced yesterday. (Lauren Dake)

Northwest headlines

• Oregon is spending more than ever on low-income housing. A state law keeps the details secret (Rob Davis, ProPublica)
• Another Oregon city is ending its Flock cameras contract, despite reporting some success (Justin Higginbottom, JPR)
• Ashland mulls keeping a parks fee that’s set to expire next year (Roman Battaglia, JPR)
• Pac-12 returns to the football field with 8 teams following years of uncertainty (John Marshall, AP)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• How data centers have changed Hermiston
• As nitrates continue to be a challenge for Eastern Oregon, irrigators share their solution
• What Medicaid cuts could look like in Eastern Oregon

One more look

Superabundant recipe: These Turkish pide are a celebration of summer vegetables

People love to debate which style of pizza is best, but the Turks have their own spin on the idea that everything tastes better in a bread canoe.

Perfected by Ottoman cooks centuries before pizza, pide (pronounced pee-deh) is a flatbread you can fill with cheese and load with savory toppings.

Spiced meat is a popular topping, but this recipe calls for summer vegetables. Some choices include zucchini (and/or its blossoms), tomatoes, red onions, spinach, herbs or perhaps some sliced roasted peppers.

And don’t worry about perfection here. The dough is straightforward to make and forgiving. (Heather Arndt Anderson)

Learn More

Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.