Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders Newsletter for June 2022
Guest Speaker for June 21st Meeting is Jenny Ammon – Environmental Education Coordinator for the City of Keizer
Over the past few years, Jenny Ammon has worked as an Angler Education Coordinator at the ODFW and then as a Natural Resource Educator at the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. In her new role with the City of Keizer, Jenny plans to present a brief program on “water law history and how the city operates stormwater outreach and education based upon those laws and permits.”
Picnic Plans for July / No Membership Meetings Scheduled for July and August
In the past, our club normally organized a picnic in place of a July Membership Meeting.
That wasn’t been possible in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic and we will decide at our July 21st meeting if we will hold a picnic this year. Please plan to attend and help finalize our plans.
Next Board of Directors Meeting is Scheduled for August 17th
As usual, our Board of Directors welcomes all Salem Chapter members to attend our Board Meetings held at Sportsman’s Warehouse at 6:30 PM.
A “Near Miss” Story from the Buell Miller Park Boat Ramp
On Sunday, May 5th, after a beak in torrential downpours the week prior, I took two fishing clients down the North Santiam from Stayton to Buell Miller Park. When we arrived at the Stayton Boat Ramp, the river was clear and appeared to be both navigable and fishable. The day started off well enough with a nice break in the weather and we were able to fish along the sides of the main current where the anchor would hold. It didn’t rain a drop while we were on the water, but the fishing was very slow with only one good bite all day.
The excitement started at the very end of our drift as we approached the takeout and the fast flowing current managed to shoot our boat right past the big swirling back eddy in front of the Buell Miller Boat Ramp. By the time I was able to slow the boat down enough to get near the left bank, we were already about 100 feet past the ramp and still headed downstream toward a reported impassible logjam about four miles downriver. At that point, I rowed as hard as I could and drove the bow of the boat into the left riverbank, dropped the anchor and we all grabbed onto the branches of some small trees lining the bank to hold the boat in place. What followed next was nothing short of a “miracle of teamwork” with my father and son passengers. The son jumped out the front of the boat and stood in the near waist deep water while his dad, climbed out onto the bank. From there, we all held the now much lighter boat in place and were able to pull the boat upstream far enough to get it into the eddy which flows back up toward the boat ramp. With disaster averted, I was then able to row the boat back up the eddy and onto the boat ramp. This whole experience is not one that I would recommend repeating and would caution everyone to stay off the North Santiam whenever the flow is running above five feet at Mehama.
Reminder Notice for 2022 Membership Dues
If you have not yet paid your annual membership dues for 2022, attached is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:
Linda Chezem – Treasurer
663 Rockwood St. SE
Salem, OR. 97306
Submitted by Mike Ferris – Club Secretary