Amacher Park East Parking Lot, Boat Ramp Closing for Improvements

Oct. 5 Update Amacher Park and campground will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 10-11 for paving. The paving is part of the project that includes the boat ramp on the East side of Old Highway 99. *** Original post The East parking lot and boat ramp at Amacher County Park will be temporarily closed for about six weeks for improvements starting Aug. 22. The park is a popular place for boaters, anglers, and river floaters to access the North Umpqua River. On hot weekends, the parking lot is packed with people creating parking lines in their minds, airing up tubes and floaties, and launching kayaks. The day use area and camping will still be open. There is space for floaters to access the river on that side as well. The project scope consists of renovating the parking area, replacing the upper portion of the boat ramp, and creating a non-motorized boat staging area. The park received support from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Marine Board, Umpqua Fishery Enhancement, and the Douglas County Park Department totaling approximately $862,000. “The improvements will greatly improve access in the area around the boat ramp for everyone from boaters, fisherman to rafters/floaters,” said County Parks Director Mark Wall in an email. “We hope that the public will enjoy easier access and a smoother more level surface with which to park and access the river. They will see a repaved, level parking surface that includes a slightly expanded parking lot, ADA-compliant sidewalks, striped parking spots and curb stops.” The project was originally approved in 2021. In July, the parks department went back to the marine board and asked for additional matching funds due to complete the project due to increasing and unexpected costs like a Department of Environmental Quality permit with the station for the construction within the floodway of the North Umpqua and bringing on an archaeologist to ensure the construction did not disturb culturally significant sites within the park. “The Oregon State Marine Board and Douglas County were in agreement that the ramp and parking lot area at Amacher County Park were in desperate need of rehabilitation,” Wall said. “Also, we needed to find a way to better manage the stormwater runoff into the river. The existing area does not have a runoff plan.” The marine board contributed $50,000 to match the county’s additional $50,000. The marine board initially contributed $143,250. Wall said the extra $100,000 is for the worst-case scenario. Extra funds will go back to the marine board and the county.