JOHN GARREN & MARY ALICE THOMPSON
RECOGNIZED AT UCCWF FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
TO RIVER RUNNERS

By Al Ainsworth, NWRA Founder

Their names often mentioned in tandem, John Garren and Mary Alice Thompson, were recognized for their lifetime achievements to the boating community at the 25th Annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 17th by the River Runners for Wilderness and the NorthWest Rafters Association.

Despite late starts in their boating lives, John and Mary Alice more than made up for lost time, beginning the fight for fair river access and spreading the knowledge of rivers in the early years of boating--the late 60’s and early 70’s. So, it made sense that the NWRA and RRFW recognized them in a joint award as the patriarch and matriarch for Oregon recreational river runners, honoring them as the first River Matron and River Patron. They were each presented with a “Paddle Plaque” and a $500 check for their efforts over the last four decades.

John began his boating years canoeing on the lower Clackamas, moving to rafting in the 60’s and 70’s until at age 50 he discovered river activities were more varied and versatile in a kayak. This necessitated Mary Alice moving from shuttle driver to passenger to note-taker to rower. Of course, John had to learn his kayaking skills, mostly on his own, with a class here and there. Mary Alice took advantage of the John Day to hone her boating skills. Later she would serve as the NWRA representative on the John Day Advisory Committee.

John began compiling notes on rivers and developing his own unique system of designing river logs when he decided there was inadequate information and many of the current logs lacked information that was of little use on the river.

While all logs have shortcomings, John’s style minimized most of those by incorporating a correlation between river miles and time, based on the river flow at the time the log was created. Flow variables--and in some cases upstream wind--become subject to interpreting your trip’s relationship to the log. The time and miles correlation are still unique to a Garren river log.

Oregon River Tours was first published in 1973 and Idaho River Tours was initially published in 1980. I recall using his first book on our first run from Dodge to Oxbow on the Sandy River. Of course, we took it on the river with us and it suffered irreparable water damage. Later in life I learned to photocopy the pages I needed and eventually to laminate the pages.

In the early 1980’s he also published the Whitewater Primer, which included logs on the Illinois and Selway rivers, but more importantly, several articles on issues of importance to recreational boaters.

I’ve used his guides on many other rivers as I’m sure we all have. Because of these books he helped introduce most of us to the rivers we’ve run and to boaters throughout the country, making all of our trips safer.

Mary Alice played a big role in creating the logs. Oftentimes she would ride in the front of the boat filling in the formatted log that John had created, noting key campsites, landmarks, rapids and, most importantly, portages and take outs.

During the early 70’s river permits also came to the forefront. John and Mary Alice were there again to represent the private boater and our concerns. Initially, the Grand Canyon river management plan for the Colorado River set the stage for all future negotiations. Shortly thereafter, John and Mary Alice attended the first Rogue River hearing in 1973, necessitated by its inclusion as one of the first eight rivers in the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Despite few commercial trips at the time, commercial interests realized the economic value of river access and the battle for access began. There were dollars to be made on them thar rivers.

The split allocation system battle followed because, after all, any river business wants guaranteed access. But that is contrary to the spirit of the Park Service Act of 1916 which states in part, “…no natural curiosities, wonders or objects of interest shall be leased, rented or granted to anyone on such terms as to interfere with free access to them by the public.” (16 USC, Sec. 231). So, the line was drawn in the sand and we are still trying to overcome those early opinions and decisions.

Shortly after the Rogue, came the hearings on the Hells Canyon stretch of the Snake. The powerful Idaho outfitters influenced that plan and began the real division between commercial interests and recreational boaters. Private (recreational) boaters were not organized at that time and had very little influence--while we’re better organized now we’re still not unified! Guides were aggressively lobbying and were “awarded” property rights--still unchanged. Because of the heavy influence of commercial interests, the compliant agency officials and congress, the legal system is the only viable option--and it’s very expensive. John has contested the current permit systems a number of times in the court system, winning once on a technically and losing the others based on the politics of the river management plan, although “winning” once on an expensive appeal that could only be interpreted as a moral victory.

Despite the disappointment that managing agencies still don’t consult private boaters, John and Mary Alice remain vigilant in promoting a fair river access plan. While fighting against the odds, our only major success was on the Deschutes River, where the Common Pool was instituted. John reluctantly admits that it would not have happened without the support of the Warm Springs Confederated Tribes. If it had been any other river the managing agencies, commercial and political interests would have most likely prevailed and maintained the unjust spilt allocation system.

That means there is still a lot of work to do. While John and Mary Alice have been heroic trailblazers we have to carry the water now. Political pressure and agency pressure still has merit, but the most successful path has been in the courts. But that doesn’t mean we stop attending hearings or writing letters, no, we must turn up the heat! While the Grand Canyon plan is being challenged in the courts now--hopefully, we make some headway--John and Mary Alice both feel we need to increase our efforts in the legal system, and that means we need a good attorney and money--and that will be the most likely path to success.

Access is not the only issue--the question of navigability keeps arising and, least we forget, the dreaded boat licensing fee.

The opportunities to get involved will never cease. Continue to read The Confluence, we will help keep you abreast of the issues important to us.

United we boat, divided and uninvolved we wait at the put-in.