Jefferson County leaders and local tourism advocates are calling on the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to communicate more clearly about recreational water advisories, saying the current system is misleading visitors and hurting the county's economy.

The issue centers on Lake Billy Chinook, a popular reservoir north of Madras that draws boaters, anglers, and campers from across the Pacific Northwest. The OHA issued a health advisory for the lake on June 12, 2026, due to a cyanobacteria (harmful algae) bloom. While the advisory was downgraded to a "precaution" level for humans on June 29 — meaning cyanotoxin levels had fallen below recreational guideline values for people — a precaution for pets remains in place, as a bloom is still detectable.

The Economic Toll

Debbie Taylor, executive director of the Madras-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, said the county has already absorbed measurable economic losses tied to confusion around advisory language.

"We see tourists enter our office every day, coming through town and asking questions — whether it's an email inquiry or over the phone — asking about what's happening. We are seeing a lot of confusion and a lot of information that is not clear," Taylor said.

Taylor shared the following data points:

  • Overall travel spending in Jefferson County dropped 6.3% from 2024 to 2025, a loss of approximately $1.5 million
  • Overnight stays in campgrounds and RV parks decreased by 32,000 person nights year over year
  • One major lodging partner reported being consistently down 5% in boating-related visitors

County Commissioner Weighs In

Jefferson County Commissioner Kelly Simmelink, who is also a candidate in this year's Position 2 commissioner race, said the county is not asking OHA to drop its public health mission — only to communicate more precisely about actual risk levels.

"We're not against public health in any way, shape, or form," Simmelink said. "We want our recreators to come here and feel safe and be safe and have a great time and make memories. It's just almost becoming impossible at this point."

OHA has maintained that advisories are issued to help prevent potential illness before it occurs, and that its guidance is based on cyanotoxin sampling data. The agency notes that bloom conditions can change quickly and that the risk to pets is real even when human exposure levels have declined.

Jefferson County officials say they plan to continue pressing the state for clearer, more localized messaging that reflects actual lake conditions rather than blanket warnings that visitors interpret as a full lake closure.