Summer boating season is just around the corner, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office wants to make sure area boaters are ready — and legal — before they hit the water.
A free boat safety inspection is scheduled for today, Saturday, May 16, at Madras Marine from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is open to all Jefferson County boat owners and anyone planning to boat in the area this season.
What to Bring
Boaters attending the inspection should bring:
- Their vessel, properly equipped with required safety gear
- Current boat registration
- Boater education card
Oregon law requires all motorized watercraft to be registered with the Oregon State Marine Board. Boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1996 must also carry a valid boater education card while operating a motorized vessel.
Why Inspections Matter
The Jefferson County area offers some of Central Oregon’s most popular boating destinations, including Lake Billy Chinook — the reservoir formed by the confluence of the Deschutes, Metolius, and Crooked rivers — as well as stretches of the Deschutes River. Boating safety checks help ensure that vessels are equipped with proper life jackets, fire extinguishers, navigation lights, and other required safety equipment before accidents can happen.
Aquatic invasive species prevention is another key component of boat inspections. Jefferson County and surrounding lakes in Oregon require boats to be cleaned, drained, and dried before launching to prevent the spread of invasive mussels, plants, and other organisms that can devastate native aquatic ecosystems.
More Information
Madras Marine is located in Madras. For questions about the inspection event or boating regulations, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office or the Oregon State Marine Board at oregonstatemarineboard.com.
If you miss today’s event, the Oregon State Marine Board also conducts periodic boating safety checks at various launch sites throughout the region during summer months.