Mosier (Rock Creek), Oregon

Site Information

• Site Coordinator: Wilton Hart, wiltonh@mediaforte.com
• Location: Oregon, Mosier
• Property Owner/Managing Agency:
• Other Details: See Columbia Gorge Recreation Coalition web site for complete details of recent site improvements, upcoming projects, and master plan information.

Rock Creek Natural Preserve and Beach Information

August 2000- Rock Creek is a federally protected area. During winter months from November to April the stream is a habitat and spawning area for endangered Steelhead Trout and Coho Salmon.

Driving and parking in the stream bed or on the banks is prohibited and subject to state and federal laws. Violations could result in the permanent closure of the entire area.

Cross the dry stream bed only below the Railroad Bridge. Park only in the gravel area between I-84 and the Railroad Tracks.

Overflow parking is East of the Mosier sewage treatment plant parallel to the Railroad Tracks.

THE PRESERVE. The stream bed and area to the West of Rock Creek from the Scenic Highway Bridge to the Columbia River is being restored to native vegetation by a generous grant from Goldendale Aluminum and work donated by the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association, The Columbia Riverkeepers, The Native Plant Society of the Mid-Columbia, The Mosier Alliance, and the Gorge Trust in cooperation with the City of Mosier, Oregon Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad and The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

YOUR COOPERATION IS NEEDED. Thank-You from the Mosier Alliance, a non-profit serving Mosier residents and visitors.

Thank you, Wilton Hart

Beach Work and Site History

• 2005- Parking lot improvements
• 2003 Work- Tree planting at sewage treatment plant and construction of parking barriers.
• 2002 Work- SOLV litter cleanup and parking lot improvements. 2001 Work-
  • SOLV cleanup <More...>
  • Monster Work Part: Monster Work Party photo mosaic, Map of work party areas. <More...>

Parking Fees

• Day: $5
• Season: $30 1st vehicle; $30 2nd vehicle

Passes may be purchased at the site or from Mosier City Hall.

The season passes are also available from CGWA for members only at the same price as above ($30 each vehicle). Contact the CGWA to get a Rock Creek pass, or include the amount when you renew your CGWA membership. Include your vehicle license plate number and state of issue.

< See Parking Passes and Parking Information for more information on other sites requiring passes. >

Work Party and Site Images

Parking Lot Improvements 2005

Parking Lot Improvements 2002

 

Wilton Hart - welder 2003

Wilton Hart - steel worker 2003

Wilton Hart - Auto repair man 2003

Site Entrance improvements

Before: Showing the original entrance (photo by Chuck Lewis) After: To protect the bed of Rock Creek, large rocks were placed along the edge of the parking area. Willows were planted on the bank for erosion control. The entry road has been moved to the east side (left side in photo) of the bridge to prevent the road from crossing the creek. (photo by Wilton Hart, CGWA Treasurer & site liaison)

Driveway and Parking Information

May 2002 - The vehicle path through the parking area at Rock Creek is one-way. There is room for diagonal parking along the base of the freeway prism and in three rows north-south near the freeway. As user numbers increase, try to keep the travel lane next to Rock Creek open and not park on the Rock Creek delta so more people can enjoy the beach. The beach on the Columbia River is also used by local families. CGWA board member Wilton Hart worked throughout last year's season watering the newly planted willows along the creek to help them get established. Steelhead and coho have been seen both in Rock Creek and in Mosier Creek in significant numbers.

Mosier Waterfront Park in Progress

by Gay Jervey, Project Coordinator

The planning phase of the Mosier Waterfront Park has been completed, and a Master Plan report by Quatrefoil, Inc. is available at the Mosier City Office. Consultations with US Fish & Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries have been requested by Mike Ferris, Public Affairs Officer, with the US Forest Service, the agency that distributes the grant money appropriated by Congress for the Mosier project. Consultations are required prior to obtaining permits (from the Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Division of State Lands) for work in or near wetlands or waterways.

In the meantime a great deal of other work can proceed without permits, and now that usage is dwindling, much of the work can begin. Some of the tasks which will go forward through the fall and winter are:

• Engineering and final construction documents for access at Rock Creek and Mosier Creek.
• Improvements of the parking surfaces for both areas.
• Trail design and trails throughout the project.
• Planting of trees, shrubs and seeds from native species.
• Construction design of public restroom facilities and amenities.

Permits should be available by spring so that dry weather construction will go forward without delays. Every effort will be made to ensure that construction activities do not interfere with usage. The Mosier Waterfront Steering Committee meets on the first Saturday of each month at 10 AM. If you would like to attend, please call Gay Jervey, Project Coordinator, at 541-478-3883 for more information.

Last fall $500,000 was awarded to the City of Mosier for waterfront improvements which includes Rock Creek. The Columbia Gorge Recreation Coalition, made up of many members including the City of Mosier and the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association, helped to get this funding. Check out the Coalition's web site for details on the project.

SOLV Cleanup

May 19, 2001
by Gay Jervey

This was the first time Gorge locations were included in the SOLV event and we did VERY well for a first go at it. The mobile work party was a great success.

Here are some statistics:

• 117 people attended plus more who missed the sign-up
• 2.75 tons of trash were collected
• 13 yards of natural debris collected (blackberries, poison oak, Knappweed)

Special contributions:

• Fred Noble or Noble Fred, we can't tell the difference anymore
• Bill Ward, poison oak specialist
• Chris Mayhall, wonderful photos
• Marco Long & Jan Leininger, best hole digging & water finding
• Nathan Salter, Tiremaster
• Jim Deaton, Trailmaster
• Special mention to Linda Maddox who led a cleanup of the entire Columbia River shorefront!

Companies who gave support:

• Columbia Gorge Roads (Stuart Chrisman)
• Kennedy Excavating
• Mosier Market
• Pietro's Pizza
• Big Winds, Hood River
• Hood River Coffee Company
• Safeway

Groups & Agencies involved:

• Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association
• Oregon Parks & Recreation Department
• Mosier Alliance
• Mosier American Legion
• ODOT Region 4
• Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation
• Native Plant Society

And of course, many thanks to the SOLV organizers & the companies which support SOLV:

• Hewlett Packard
• LP
• Portland Marine Dealers
• Oregon Lottery
• Oregon State Marine Board

2001 Monster Work Parkty: Feb. 3, 2001

Work Areas: (Refer to map)

1. Union Pacific lease to Mosier Creek. Difficulty=Moderate. Clear brush, trash and other debris. Cut weeds, limb trees, pull knappweed and blackberries. Trail - build short trail to Mosier Creek railroad bridge. Clear debris from flat area next to railroad. Leader: Lee Roy Herman
2. Union Pacific to Fruit Grower's Building. Difficulty=Easy to Moderate. Clean up trash, pull weeds, build low stone wall to define parking lot. Create bays for planting low trees to partly shade parking. Central rock fountain??? Leader Iva Harmon
3. Keith Chamberlain Rest Area - Native Plant Society. Leaders Mike & Jerry Igo
4. South Side, Mosier Lake. Difficulty=Extreme. Create nature trail through vicious blackberries. All of trail needs to be hand built or cut. Leader Jim Deaton/Dan Lautenbach
5. North Side, Mosier Lake. Difficulty=Moderate. Create short trail from freeway bridge in talus slope. Pick up enormous amounts of trash from freeway. Leaders Tiffany Newton
6. Wetland Trail from Wilton Launch to Mosier Lake. Difficulty=Moderate to High. Trail will be staked - needs to be cleared, branches lopped, blackberries removed. Leaders Chris & Claudia Nygard
7. Wilton Launch - Rock Creek. Difficulty=Easy to Moderate. Clean up knappweed & trash, blackberries. Help create new access to launch parking area. Wilton Hart, Peny Wallace
8. Lower Mosier Creek - trash collection / knapweed removal. Not difficult in part, but very wet/muddy/rocky. Leaders Carole Schmidt, David & Katie Skakel
9. ODOT gravel pit (RAINBOW) staking, knappweed removal & burning. Trash pickup.
10. Possible trail work at Waterfall Park. Leaders: Barbara Robinson, Greg Koonce, Bennett Burns