Power to the power boats
"The bill couldn't be any worse if it legislated ownership of the canyon to the jetboaters," Bailey says. The bill ignores conflicts between floatboaters seeking quiet on the river, he says, and power boats, some driven by 900 horsepower engines. He recounts stories of kayakers flipped by boat wakes and jetboaters using floaters as a slalom course.
Sandra Mitchell, head of the pro-power boat Hells Canyon Alliance, says boaters "do get along and can get along." Currently, jetboats enjoy unlimited access to Hells Canyon, while floaters are limited to five launches per day.
*Warren Cornwall
