<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
h1
{mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin-top:12.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
font-weight:bold;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For Immediate Release Date: Friday, August 5, 2011 <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><h1 style='margin-top:0in'><o:p> </o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Marine Board Lifts Closure of Willamette near I-5 Bridge Construction<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'> <span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The Oregon State Marine Board lifted at 5 p.m. Friday, August 5, a temporary closure of the Willamette River near the I-5 Bridge construction project in Eugene. The bottleneck was the scene of several rescues during high water levels earlier this summer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> The Lane County Marine Patrol report the water level has dropped by several feet and the debris in the main channel that proved a navigation hazard is now gone. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The safety closure took effect on July 1, and prohibited all boats from operating between the low-head dam upriver of the I-5 Bridge to the downstream end of the I-5 construction project, a distance of about 1,000 feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Officials reiterate that if debris, natural or construction-related, once again creates a blockage, the water level rises, or significant water rescues are needed that put first responders at risk, the safety closure may need to be reinstated. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Boaters and float traffic are urged to keep a sharp lookout and follow existing sign recommendations. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ashley A. Massey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Public Information Officer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Oregon State Marine Board<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>503-378-2623<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:Ashley.massey@state.or.us">Ashley.massey@state.or.us</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.boatoregon.com/"><span style='color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=52 height=52 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CC5388.21B1A650" alt="Description: cid:image001.jpg@01CC4556.A6D3E3B0"></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/boatoregon"><span style='color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=44 height=44 id="il_fi" src="cid:image002.png@01CC5388.21B1A650" alt="Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: http://static.technorati.com/10/09/17/18465/Facebook-icon.png"></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/marineboard"><span style='color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=44 height=44 id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image003.jpg@01CC5388.21B1A650" alt="Description: Description: Description: http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/system/images/thumbs/www/articles_2009_10_09/twitter_logo_300x300.jpg?1273889336"></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>