Jackson County and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have received a technical assistance grant through the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program to develop a recreation access and management plan for a thirteen-mile stretch of the Rogue River.  The project boundary begins at Givan Ranch Park just north of Medford on Agate road (Old Elks Picnic Grounds) and extends downriver past the Table Rocks to the Gold Nugget Wayside off of State Highway 234.  The goal of the planning project is to identify appropriate public access points for water-based and upland recreation sites along the Rogue River, following the removal of Gold Ray Dam and to develop a strategy to proactively manage changing and increasing recreational use patterns, while maintaining the integrity of the natural resources in the area and minimizing potential conflicts. The plan is focused on proper management of existing public lands, in an attempt to balance public access needs with river restoration and conservation efforts.  

To gather this information and encourage public involvement, we have established a planning group consisting of river users and interest groups, in conjunction with a series of public open houses.  Additionally, we have developed a web survey that will provide us important information for the plan.  We received over 300 responses to the online survey helping us identify what users are looking for.

We encourage you to stay involved and aid Jackson County, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the National Park Service plan for recreation on this unique and beautiful section of the Rogue!  If you would like to be included in future emails regarding the plan, please send your email address to lambersm@jacksoncounty.org.

For more information please contact the Jackson County Parks office at (541) 774-8183.