Oregon
An iconic Oregon waterfall was put up for sale on Redfin. Lawmakers approved the money to buy it
The state of Oregon may soon have some new public property: A spectacular waterfall, beloved by generations, that was recently put up for sale on Redfin.
Abiqua Falls — known for its 92-foot (28-meter) vertical drop over a columnar basalt cliff — has been privately owned for over a century but open to the public. Its owner, a nonprofit that supports a community of Benedictine monks, put it on the market earlier this year.
The listing worried fans of the natural wonder. But at the tail end of the legislative session this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers stepped in and approved $2.1 million to buy the falls and its surrounding land.
“It’s not every day where you see a waterfall come up for sale on Redfin or Realtor.com with no price,” said Travis Williams, president of the Willamette River Preservation Trust, a conservation nonprofit. “The public was really confused and fearful that the site would be closed off.”
The waterfall is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the state capital, Salem, and roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Portland. It’s reached by a rough, unpaved road and short, steep hike — so steep that previous visitors have left ropes in some spots for assistance.
In a statement, Republican state Sen. Fred Girod, whose district includes the waterfall, said “Oregon is pledging that Abiqua Falls will continue to be protected and accessible for generations to come.”
The waterfall was acquired by Mount Angel Abbey in 1908 and transferred to The Abbey Foundation of Oregon, a nonprofit that supports the abbey, in 2002, according to Amanda Staggenborg, the foundation’s communications director.
“We just realized that it was time,” she said. “There were a lot of people that were hiking on the property, and while we welcome that, we wanted to ensure that the proper stewardship was overseeing it.”
The foundation put the property up for open auction in early February, meaning there was no minimum or maximum bid, she said. It accepted the offer the state made under the bill that passed.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department must complete due diligence, including reviewing environmental and archaeological information, before the purchase can move forward, spokesperson Katie Gauthier said in an email.
The property won’t necessarily become a state park, which would require additional money, she added. It could be managed by a local or tribal government or another state agency.
“Abiqua Falls is a beautiful but very remote and difficult-to-access site, and we are concerned about the impact managing a property like this could have on an already stretched state park system and our current budget shortfall,” Gauthier said
Many people who commented on the Willamette River Preservation Trust’s social media posts on the issue welcomed the idea of the falls becoming public land, although some worried that state acquisition might lead to fees and crowds.
The trust, which submitted a bid soon after the waterfall was listed for sale, has supported the state’s move to acquire it, said Williams, the trust’s president.
“It has a sense of spirituality about it,” he said. “It’s just gorgeous.”
Video shows retirement party for Oregon Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9
Oregon’s first Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9, Buck, was deployed 184 times across the state before his retirement.
Oregonians can fish, clam and crab for free during Oregon’s annual Free Fishing Weekend in June.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said it will hold another free fishing weekend June 6-7, offering all Oregonians and nonresidents the chance to fish for free across the state for two days.
No fishing or shellfish licenses or tags, endorsements or validations are required on these days. Oregon State Parks will also offer free parking at state parks on June 6.
While fishing may be free, ODFW said that all other fishing regulations apply. That includes single rod limitations, bag limits, size restrictions and closures.
Fishing regulations are available online and MyODFW.com for any in-season regulation updates.
Here’s what to know about Oregon June 2026 free fishing weekend.
Will Oregon lakes be stocked for 2026 free fishing weekend?
ODFW will be stocking many of Oregon’s lakes and ponds with rainbow trout for free fishing weekend.
People are encouraged to visit the recreation report at ODFW’s website to find the best fishing spots, and to check out the trout stocking schedule for stocking locations.
ODFW said that drought conditions will make a difference this year and some smaller lakes and ponds might be warmer than usual. The agency suggested fishing earlier in the day or fishing for warm water fish like bass, bluegill and crappie.
How to go crabbing and clamming during Oregon’s June 2026 free fishing weekend
For Oregonians who have never tried crabbing or clamming, free fishing weekend can be a good opportunity to learn.
ODFW provides information on how to get started crabbing on its website. It includes tips and tricks on how to crab, where to crab, how to measure a crab and how to tell if it is male or female.
People can also visit the website for information on how to get started clamming, including how to dig for clams, where to dig for clams and what species to look for.
As of May 26, crabbing is open coastwide. Razor clamming is only allowed from the Washington border to Cape Blanco. It is currently prohibited from Cape Blanco to the California border.
The agency warns that closures can happen at any time, especially closures related to shellfish biotoxins, or toxins carried by shellfish that can cause serious illness.
For updated recreational shellfish biotoxin closures, visit the ODA website or call the shellfish biotoxin hotline at 1-800-448-2474.
To get updated harvesting statuses, people can visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture website.
To check for additional closures during free fishing weekend, people can visit myodfw.com.
What are some events happening during fishing weekend?
ODFW and volunteers will be hosting free events around Oregon on June 6. These events will offer equipment and hands-on instruction for beginners learning how to fish.
Some of the scheduled events include:
- Twin Ponds in Ukiah from 9 a.m. to noon on June 6
- Olalla Reservoir in Toledo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
- Silverton Marine Park in Silverton from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
- Cleawox Lake in Florence from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
- Henry Hagg Lake in Gaston from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
- Alton Baker Park in Eugene will hold a youth-only event for anglers 17 and younger from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 6
- Small Fry Lake in Estacada from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval is a lifelong Oregonian who covers trending news, entertainment, food and outdoors. She can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.
Oregon State Baseball Stays Alive With 9-2 Win Over Yale
Through the first four innings, the game was a pitcher’s duel, with the only base runner being Washington State’s Cam Macleod, who was hit by a pitch in the third inning. Oregon starting pitcher Will Sanford was putting on a clinic, striking out ten Cougars in the first four innings.
In the top of the fifth, the Duck bats started working. Burke-Lee Mabeus hit a double to right center, and then Maddox Molony was walked. Oregon had two base runners, but two outs on the board, and the eighth player in their rotation, Jax Gimenez, was coming to the plate. Gimenez got the job done, hitting a short single to right to score Mabeus and put Oregon up 1-0.
The Good, The Bad, and What’s Next After Oregon State’s NCAA Tournament Win Over Yale
Washington State came close to evening things in the bottom of the fifth. After striking out Dustin Robinson and forcing a ground out from Ryan Skjonsby, Sanford walked Ollie Obenour. Cam Macleod then hit a single, WSU’s first hit of the game, to put a runner in scoring position. Sanford remained clutch on the mound however, striking out Kyler Northrup, his twelfth K of the game, to end the inning.
Sanford picked up his 13th strikeout in the bottom of the sixth, and his 14th in the bottom of the seventh, but ended his day shortly after, having walked Dustin Robinson. Tanner Bradley came in for Oregon and finished off the inning, keeping the Ducks one run lead in place.
Oregon State Comeback Bid Falls Short in Eugene Regional Opener, 3-2
Washington State starter had his day end in the top of the eight, after picking up his seventh strikeout. His game will be overshadowed by Sanford, but Myers also had an impressive day, allowing five hits, two walks and one run in his 7.1 innings pitched. Scott Rienguette came in to close out the inning, giving Washington State six outs to get a run.
The Cougs didn’t get one in the bottom of the eighth, going three up three down, and got into trouble in the top of the ninth. Angel Laya led off with a single, and was replaced by pinch runner Elijah Cook. Cook moved to second on a bunt, and then Brayden Jaksa was walked. A fielder’s chocie from Burke-Lee Mabeus got Washington State a second out, but runners at the corners.
Eugene Regional Preview: Meet The Washington State Cougars
Naulivou Lauaki then came to the plate, and blasted the ball over the center field wall, giving Oregon a 4-0 lead headed into the final frame. Gavin Roy grounded out for the first out, but Max Hartman then singled to give the Cougars some hope. A wild pitch Matt Priest advanced Hartmna, but Priest struck out swinging. Dustin Robinson then struck out, sending Washington State to the loser’s bracket.
Washington State and Oregon State will play one last time tomorrow, with the winner having the tough task of taking down the Ducks twice on their home field to keep their Omaha hopes alive.
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Watch video of high seas rescue off Oregon coast
A cruise ship, the Silver Whisper, rescued a Canadian man whose vessel broke down nearly 500 miles off the Oregon coast May 26.
A cruise ship rescued a Canadian man stranded on his boat nearly 500 miles of the Oregon coast on May 26, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The 74-year-old man, who the agency did not name, was sailing from Hawaii to British Columbia when his vessel ran into gale-force winds and 30-foot high waves. The 29-foot boat’s engine failed and the mast broke, injuring the man’s shoulder.
He’s made the same trip four times before, Coast Guard officials said, and had food, water, a life raft and a life jacket on board. The mariner used his handheld satellite communicator to contact the U.S. Coast Guard’s Northwest District, which the agency used to track him.
He was rescued 489 miles off the coast of Tillamook.
“This mariner’s experience and preparedness allowed the Coast Guard and other agencies to communicate with him and effect a rescue,” Coast Guard Northwest District Search and Rescue Program Manager Scott Giard said. “His foresight to bring a satellite communicator averted a tragedy.
Coast Guard officials deployed a C-27J cargo plane from Sacramento, California, to function as their “eye in the sky” as they coordinated the rescue because he was so far from the shore.
The plane assessed the state of the sea and the damage to the vessel. It was also equipped with life rafts, communication gear and rations that could sustain a survivor while responders coordinate the rescue, officials said.
Coast Guard officials contacted a cruise ship, the Silver Whisper, that went 120 off its charted course to rescue the stranded Canadian man. The Coast Guard found the Silver Whisper by tapping into its Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system, a global network that tracks the positions of commercial ships that participate in the program.
Eder Campuzano is the local news editor for the Statesman Journal. He can can be reached at ecampuzano@statesmanjournal.com. Find him on Bluesky at @ederc.bsky.social or Threads @ederc.
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