The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office River Patrol Unit issued a safety advisory on May 7 for people using the Sandy River between Oxbow Regional Park and Dabney State Recreation Area. The advisory follows a strong storm cycle in December 2025 that caused the river to change course, creating new hazards for recreational users.
Officials say that rivers can change their paths during high-flow events. South of Camp Angelos, the main channel of the Sandy River now flows west of a wooded island instead of east, as it did before the storms. The Sheriff’s Office said, “This is a critical point of education for the public: current satellite imagery and GPS mapping have not yet been updated to reflect this new topography.”
According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, these changes have created “strainers” — fallen and submerged trees — in the new primary channel. The current now pulls watercrafts and swimmers toward these obstructions. Officials warn that water depth, submerged rocks, and tree hazards have also produced small rapids in this section, making navigation difficult or unexpected.
Patrols recently found several abandoned inner tubes caught in debris fields formed by these changes. Warning signs have been posted at both Oxbow Regional Park and Dabney State Recreation Area.
The River Patrol Unit encourages everyone to prepare for unexpected river conditions before launching at Oxbow Regional Park. Recommendations include wearing properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets at all times while on the water; keeping a loud waterproof sound-signaling device attached; carrying waterproof lights if boating near dawn or dusk; and maintaining visual awareness rather than relying on outdated digital maps.
To help illustrate these changes, drone footage and photographs taken May 6 are being released by the agency. “When reporting on this advisory, please credit the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in full,” officials said.