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Tualatin River Water Trail light watercraft access study

Planning and conservation  ›  Natural areas, parks and trails  ›  Planning parks and trails  ›  Planning future parks  ›  Tualatin River Water Trail

Find out about plans to improve paddling access to the Tualatin River. Metro and its partners are studying two Metro natural areas to determine the best place for a new launch site.

The Tualatin River is an outstanding natural resource that meanders for more than 35 miles through rural Washington and Clackamas counties. The slow current and languid water speed make the river ideal for canoes and kayaks. Currently, there are access facilities in Tualatin and Tigard, which provide public entry to only four miles of the river. The next access point is almost 20 miles upstream. An additional entry point will offer new recreation opportunities, increase public access to river systems and promote public awareness of water quality issues and wildlife habitat protection.

The Tualatin River Water Trail light watercraft access study will evaluate two Metro-owned properties along the river to identify a preferred access point, develop a conceptual site plan and a proposal for grant funding to help with construction.

View a map of the Munger natural area site
View a map of the River Road site

The project furthers Metro’s vision for a world-class paddling experience in close proximity to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and several Metro natural areas. 

The idea of a water trail along the Tualatin River was first envisioned in Metro’s 1992 Greenspaces Master Plan. Since then, Metro has purchased nearly 400 acres in the Tualatin River Greenway through the 1995 and 2006 natural areas bond measures. 

Site selection process 

A project advisory committee made up of agency, community and natural resource organizations, property owners and citizens selected two preferred locations for a potential public access point during a meeting on Jan. 12, 2012. The two properties selected were River Road, located at the intersection of Farmington and River roads, and a site known as Munger Natural Area. Both sites are located in unincorporated Washington County. 

The committee will meet several more times to advise the project team on agency and community concerns and issues and serve as a forum to evaluate the sites, consider public feedback and build a final consensus recommendation for a preferred location. 

An open house will be held Feb. 23, 2012, to share the committee's two top preferred launch sites and receive feedback. Input from the public will help the advisory committee and Metro staff select a preferred launch site to move forward for potential funding opportunities. The final recommendation will include a conceptual site plan with potential amenities and features. If time allows, the committee will also produce a priority list of sites for future development. The advisory committee includes representatives from:

• Metro
• Washington County
• Clackamas County 
• City of Tualatin 
• City of Hillsboro 
• Clean Water Services 
• Tualatin River Watershed Council 
• citizen representatives

Videos

View video tours of the two proposed launch sites.

River Road

Munger

Related documents

• Farmington Road launch site 5.0M JPEG image | Published February 15, 2012
• Munger natural area site 6.7M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 15, 2012