Dan Rubado throwing ends on The Umatilla.  Photo: ©Rubado

Wider view of the same feature.  Photo: ©Rubado

Yet another option for Play (not the highest quality play) in Oregon is the Lower Umatilla River. The Lower Umatilla is full of man made obstacles and large ledges which can create some very interesting holes and waves depending on the water level. The run itself gets quite interesting and has some very large and strong holes especially at high water. Care must be taken when playing in the features on the this river because many of the features are extremely retentive. Some of the best play is at the margins of large man made holes. Most paddlers carefully select which features to play in and often even have their friends set up safety and take turns playing.

I have heard several stories from Ron Turner and other Tri-City (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick) paddlers about intermediate paddlers missing their line and ending up, "partying with their boat" in large retentive holes on the Umatilla.

Above 2000 cfs the play on this runs gets a lot better though it only gets this high a few times a year. Yet another river with play here in the Northwest. Unfortunately it is a several hour drive from every major city in the Northwest except the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington.

Here is what Dan Rubado who lived in Walla Walla for several years had to say about the Umatilla:

"The Umatilla - The put in is at the fish hatchery.  Park at the hatchery or
at the pullout just downstream of it. Hike down to the river below the dam
and put in anywhere that you feel comfortable with.  There are some
retentive holes formed by fish ladders right below the dam.  Take a look
before you run them or play in them.  The hole from the pictures is about a
third of the way down the run, and you have to do the run to get there.  It
is right above the first major rapid, formed by a series of fish ladder
ledges that forms some big water at higher flows and a series of holes at
lower flows.  There is marginal eddy service for this spot.  There is a wide
but short eddy in the middle of the river to river right of the hole that is
in the backwash of a row of small, shallow pour-overs. The eddy at least
feeds straight back into the hole.   If you miss the eddy or wash out the
back, paddle like the wind to reach a decent eddy on river left.  You have
to hike a short distance over some grass and bushes to get back to a small,
shallow eddy on river left that feeds back into the hole.

   After the hole and following rapid there is more mellow river until you
reach a river wide two foot tall weir.  The far right is taller and more
vertical with a shallower landing, so its not recommended.  Usually run in
the middle or to the left.  After that you have to make a fast choice, right
or left.  Right channel is easy.  The left has two punch bowls stacked on
top of each other each about four feet tall that form big, retentive holes. 
You can skirt the meat on the right.  After a bit, you pass under the I-82
bridge.  Right after that you come around a corner to "Gnar Canyon." 
You can either go left of the giant house size boulders and run the short,
steep walled canyon, or go around just to the right of them.  Too far right
and you will scrape down a big shallow slide.  The canyon to the left has
three or four powerful, man made pour-over ledges.  There's an eddy at the
base of the second house size rock which marks the end of Gnar canyon.  This
eddy offers service to the last ledge which makes a nice spinning hole at
lower water, and a decent wave at higher.  The eddy is short and the river
disappears around the left of the third house size rock.  Eddy service
degrades as the water level rises.  You continue through some turbulent
water until you reach a small, surfable (at least in a long boat) wave on
river right, with an eddy that's along a short vertical cliff.  From the
eddy, paddle downstream until you find a notch in the cliff.  This is the
first takeout.  You can follow the dirt road on top of this large island
back to the highway.  You have to cross a side channel of the river, but its
usually shallow enough to wade.

  If you wish to continue, you will be forced to the left.  At high water it
is probably best to try to work to the middle or right of the river.  The
left channel breaks off drops through a couple small holes then swill over
"China Falls," a four foot vertical drop with a nasty hole at the bottom. 
You can boof it hard on the rooster tail on the far left.  If you drop in
sideways, you'll probably have to swim out.  The rest of the river slides
over shallow rocks into the same pool at the base of china falls.  This pool
is often a web of fishing lines in the spring.  Don't piss the fishermen
off, because they will probably outnumber your group.  From the pool below
china falls, it's a mellow paddle to the take out at the boat ramp in the
riverside park.

We usually do the run to the take out above china falls because it's much
shorter if you want to hike the shuttle from there."

A couple of the play features on this three mile run have eddy service.

500 cfs: There are a couple of ledges the give you an opportunity to spin and cartwheel

1,000 cfs: Provides several opportunities for play. There are a couple of play spots that come in.

2,000-2500 cfs: The Play on the Umatilla is at it best.

Umatilla River and Umatilla, OR.

Winter and Spring Run-off, during periods of heavy rain are the only time that the river will get high enough to bring The Umatilla up high enough for the play to be good.

Strong Intermediates and Experts only. Most of the features on the river are man made diversion dams and other features that serve as fish ladders. Most paddlers spend a good amount of time scouting to decide which features they want to play in and which they want to avoid and may be even portage.

Make your way to Umatilla, OR which is located on US Interstate 84, 188 miles East of Portland, OR. Once you are in town locate the river front park your take-out and drive East on the main drag from the park until you find Old River Road and drive uphill about three mile to the dam at the fish hatchery. Put-in somewhere below the dam. Remember to spend plenty of time scouting.