With 26.5 acres of grassland and trails along the Columbia River in Washougal, three Portland-based companies have developed a model of a waterfront; this would add more character to the town. The well detailed models have been recently submitted to the port of Camas-Washougal. The future Washougal waterfront will be a family-friendly destination, that may consist of various stores, water-sport stores, and maybe even a public pool or community center.
Alan Perez, a ninth grader at Camas explains “I heard that they might be able to put a waterfront hotel, and different kinds of shops by the river.” With this new addition in the Washougal and Camas area: the waterfront can bring a wider amount of tourist, and more activities for adults and even children. In Downtown Vancouver, there’s an outstanding waterfront that took about two decades to bring to life, but aside from the time, it has amazing restaurants, a variety of shops, and it brings more attention to the town. Amiyah Trobradovic, a ninth grader says: “When they finally opened the waterfront in Vancouver, It seemed like it made the area so much more put together, it brought the town more personality and the view is really cool, I’m hoping that the waterfront in Washougal will be similar.”
At the moment in Washougal, there is a waterfront, but it is not the ideal destination, and many people in the area believe it’s time for an upgrade. So far at the Washougal waterfront, it consist of a 12 foot cement walking trail that stretches just about a mile long, a kayak or canoe launch, water access trails, plus mini viewpoints. “In the summer my family walks the river trails a lot, we even go kayaking with friends and family, but even though it’s an amazing place, an upgrade on the waterfront would be awesome,” informs Susanna Soto, a student at Camas High School. In the summer, many people both Camas and Washougal, even people from different cities visit the Columbia River (also known as Cottonwood Beach, on this side of the river).
People come to Cottonwood for birthday parties, to swim, boat, and just about anything that people do in the summer; imagine if shops and restaurants were added to the land, that would bring a lot more population. “I think that this area needs more restaurants and pit stops, especially if people get tired of swimming in the river.” Even though the waterfront would be a great addition to the area, waterfronts are a challenge financially; it needs an important residential element to make it feasible, which also means that it will take time to prepare. A new waterfront would be ideal for the Camas and Washougal area, and many people are excited about it.
