PSA Jurassic Park / Swan Island sturgeon not currently accessible

Today I observed a disappointing verbal exchange between a fisherman in a canoe and multiple members of security and staff at swan island shipyard, dry dock 5. The fisherman was asked to move away by shipyard staff. The fisherman refused and began cussing at the staff.

Now there is a second yellow barrier 100 yards further out from the first.

All it takes is one asshole to mess it up for everyone.

It does beg the question of how much of the river they rightly can "claim" or block off. Not to say the actions weren't justified based on the assholery, but nevertheless I am curious as to how much of the river itself they can block off, I mean frankly what's to stop them from blocking off all but a small channel in the river?

It does beg the question of how much of the river they rightly can "claim" or block off. Not to say the actions weren't justified based on the assholery, but nevertheless I am curious as to how much of the river itself they can block off, I mean frankly what's to stop them from blocking off all but a small channel in the river?

As the Portland harbor regularly services DOD assets and is considered critical infrastructure, I'm pretty sure that they can block off as much of the river as they like.  Even without those criteria, they can reasonably claim a safety risk to anybody within range of falling/thrown tools and equipment so again the answer would be as much of the river as they like.

-Mark-

They can legally demand you stay 200 yds away from the Navy ships there.

If they tell you to move, you should. They aren't doing it to bully folks. They are craining stuff all the time that would kill you if it fell right over where folks fish. It's a industrial shipyard

I think contacting ODFW and asking them interface with whatever company on the everyones behalf might yield something.

I think contacting ODFW and asking them interface with whatever company on the everyones behalf might yield something.

No it won’t, there’s other fishing places in the water.
   Try driving into Fort Lewis and tell the guards off.
  I have buffed life boats there in the past owned a detail service, my entire crew and I had to have a security background check and two of my guys couldn’t pass because of stupid shit they did as late teens early adults. The guards are armed also.

I think contacting ODFW and asking them interface with whatever company on the everyones behalf might yield something.

No it won’t, there’s other fishing places in the water.
   Try driving into Fort Lewis and tell the guards off.
  I have buffed life boats there in the past owned a detail service, my entire crew and I had to have a security background check and two of my guys couldn’t pass because of stupid shit they did as late teens early adults. The guards are armed also.

I think contacting ODFW and asking them interface with whatever company on the everyones behalf might yield something.

No it won’t, there’s other fishing places in the water.
   Try driving into Fort Lewis and tell the guards off.
  I have buffed life boats there in the past owned a detail service, my entire crew and I had to have a security background check and two of my guys couldn’t pass because of stupid shit they did as late teens early adults. The guards are armed also.

Don’t need you to post a selfie!

I think contacting ODFW and asking them interface with whatever company on the everyones behalf might yield something.

No it won’t, there’s other fishing places in the water.
   Try driving into Fort Lewis and tell the guards off.
  I have buffed life boats there in the past owned a detail service, my entire crew and I had to have a security background check and two of my guys couldn’t pass because of stupid shit they did as late teens early adults. The guards are armed also.

Don’t need you to post a selfie!

Ha

We were actually discussing this last time we were there (a couple weekends ago): What are the regs and how much can they legally keep you out of? Its on the Willamette, so there is no doubt it falls under one of the defined "navigable" water ways, that means you as the public have access up to normal high water mark, as long as you are not contacting their property.

The 200 ft. from Navy or Gov vessel seems like its probably a federal law/regulation that would be reasonably easy to look up if I had the motivation.   

I can also see it being reasonable that you cannot come into contact with their private property, i.e. throwing your leg over the oil boom (but let's be honest,  the intent of those booms are for reducing hydrocarbon spills, not exclusion, it just so happens it also keeps you from going closer to their property).

I can also even make the case in my head that its okay for them to exclude you from between their piers (like where the one floating dock that everyone fishes at, but the dock can actually expand into if you get a long enough ship).  They have the booms going a ways out there between the Vigorous dock and the other one though (where they have their access channel).  I see not justification for allowing them to exclude people from that area. 

I certainly appreciate the need for safety and respecting the work people are doing, just as I wouldn't want someone to come into my office and tell me what to do I wouldn't want (and don't) argue with them if they're telling me something is unsafe and I should move a bit further away.

Ultimately I see it like this, if you're going to try and enforce the 100 yard rule then enforce it and buoy it off all the time, to selectively enforce it is just going to lead to more poor interactions with folks that don't understand the rule and ultimately don't care what the workers say. Just like people working on a construction project can rightfully block off roads for safety reasons and concerns I don't see why the shipyard folks can't justifiably do the same, but again, if that's the case then block it off, don't expect people floating on the river to understand the unknown risks.

Tried looking through department of statelands and OSMB pages to see if there any guidance around docks, structures etc.   Surrounding the Willamette, ownership of the riverbed and navigability are not in dispute unlike some other bodies of water.  It is un-deniably public and state owned.   Companies get leases/permits to put permanent or semi permanent structures (i.e. docks, piers, etc) into the riverbed/sediment.  All other documentation indicates that public has access to float on navigable waters.   

If I get more time I may try to write a question to OSMB and DSL to see if they have better guidance. 

 The "hole" everyone fishes at swan is in between 2 clearly marked "no tresspassing" signs on the piers surrounding dry dock five. The hole is not a public site......

The fact that they had it buoyed, the way they did previously, was them allowing something they didn't have to do. They were allowing folks to fish at their construction site. They don't have to do this. The fact that some posters on here feel entitled to fish this private worksite is confusing. The fisherman on Friday abused this privilege everyone was being given, forcing them to put up barriers.

You guys sound like hunters saying because you see game on private property, you can hop the fence to shoot because?.......... You bought a liscense......