Oregon board votes to ban motorboats on Waldo Lake

Long awaited decision to keep lake quiet and clean handed down by Marine Board

Motorboats will no longer be allowed on scenic Waldo Lake in the Cascade Mountains.

The Oregon State Marine Board voted 4 to 1 today to ban gas and diesel-powered vessels and floatplanes from the 6,298-acre lake east of Eugene.

"I'm sure a lot of folks will be happy to hear that there will be a gas-power ban on Waldo Lake," said Ashley Massey, spokeswoman for the board.

Three years ago, the U.S. Forest Service decided to ban motorboats on the lake, which sits at over 5,000-feet elevation adjacent to forested wilderness areas.

But a judge ruled that the federal agency didn't have the authority to make such a decision after Eugene timber heir Steven Stewart challenged the agency in court.

The vote today by the state marine board, which has jurisdiction over navigable waterways, followed a staff recommendation to ban motorboats to preserve the lake's crystalline water and natural setting.

Deborah McQueen of Scappoose was the board's lone dissenting vote. Waldo will now become Oregon's largest non-motorized lake.

Gas and diesel engines, as well as float planes, will still be allowed in case of an emergency, Massey said. And electric motors will be permissible.

"This will enable folks who can't paddle to still enjoy the lake," Massey said.