Abandoned and Derelict Vessels

There are hundreds of hazardous boats and ships in Oregon's public waterways, including large tugboats, barges, and former military vessels as well as recreational vessels like sailboats and motorboats. These abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) can seriously threaten the health and safety of our rivers, lakes, and ocean by contaminating water and degrading habitat, damaging property, and creating navigational hazards. The Waterways Stewardship Program leads the Department's work to address these issues, including implementation of the state's Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Program through ongoing collaboration with governmental and community partners to develop long-term solutions for safe and healthy waterways. Oregon's Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Program The Department of State Lands leads a statewide ADV Program which collaborates with other state agencies as well as community and federal partners to: Reduce the impacts of abandoned and derelict vessels Address waterway hazards Promote responsible use of our waters Collaborate toward long-term and proactive solutions to prevent the accumulation of ADVs in Oregon's waters The state's Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Fund helps community-led efforts to remove hazardous boats and get critical funding. While the state always pursues holding boat owners responsible, significant resources are required to remove vessels from waterways and pay for the costs of salvage, transportation, hazardous materials abatement, dismantling, and disposal. There can be high and unforeseen expenses along the way. Many recreational vessels cost thousands to remove, while former commercial or former military vessels may be multimillion-dollar projects.

Abandoned vessels are those that have been left on Oregon-owned land or a waterway for an extended period of time without an authorization are considered abandoned. Oregon’s limited duration rules OAR 141-088-0002(6), OAR 141-082-0255(43) restrict the amount of time a vessel can stay in a given spot.

Recreational vessels cannot stay in one location for more than 30 consecutive days. Once they have exceeded that time period, they must move to another location that is at least five miles away. Further, they cannot moor their vessel within that five-mile area for a 12-month period.
For commercial vessels, this timeline is shortened to 14 days.

Derelict vessels are those boats in varying stages of disrepair that may pose a significant threat to human safety, environmental health, or waterway navigation are considered derelict. These boats may have sunk, be in immediate danger of sinking, or pose an environmental threat.

More about the ADV Program

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2914, creating the Oregon Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Program within the Department of State Lands. The bill directs the new program to address ADVs for the public interests of fishing, navigation, commerce, and recreation. This bill also created the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Fund in the State Treasury to support these efforts. A separate piece of legislation from 2023, HB 5029, appropriated $18.8 million in one-time monies to the Fund.

Soon after the Program was created in 2023, the Department convened a workgroup of partners and community members to advise on key elements of the new statewide program. The twenty-four members of the ADV Workgroup (see roster) brought a wide variety of perspectives and expertise, including ports, marinas, waterway recreation, environmental protection, vessel salvage, and local government. Recordings of all ADV Workgroup meetings can be found on the DSL YouTube channel here.

Other Resources

In consultation with the ADV Workgroup of partner entities, the program developed an ADV Program Framework to guide future work. The Framework was formally adopted in April 2024. It captures key challenges that must be addressed as well as commitments for the Department in establishing the new program over the coming years. It is guiding the work of staff and partners for near-term action and long-term solutions.

Boat owners and marinas can help protect Oregon's waterways and prevent new abandoned and derelict vessels from becoming a hazard. Here are some ways you can help:

Thinking about buying a boat? Research annual maintenance needs before making a purchase. Estimate the cost of regular repairs, tune-ups, and moorage fees and assess whether this fits into your budget and priorities.
Already own a boat? Make sure you're staying on top of needed repairs. That's the best way to fix an issue before it becomes a bigger problem.

Need to dispose of a boat? If you have a boat that is deteriorating, please access boat disposal services for proper handling.
Own or manage a marina? Take action to help support clean, safe waterways by becoming certified as an Oregon Clean Marina with the Oregon State Marine Board.

For the full text of all statutes pertaining to the disposition of abandoned or derelict vessels, see ORS 830.908 - 830-948 and ORS 274.366 – 274.388.

*ORS 830.908 – 830.948 and ORS 274.376 were amended by the Oregon Legislature in 2025 through SB 795. SB 795 became law on September 26, 2025 but has not yet been enrolled on the Oregon Legislature's webpage linked above.

Per ORS 830, any state, federal, or local agency or other public body with authority over the location of an abandoned or derelict vessel has the authority to seize and remove said vessel through the process detailed in ORS 830.908 through 830.948. Any entity that may need to seize and remove a vessel is encouraged to contact DSL.Waterways@dsl.oregon.gov for guidance and notice templates.

https://www-auth.oregon.gov/dsl/waterways/SiteAssets/The_abandoned_dredge_Herb_Anderson.jpg

The 115-foot Dredge Anderson, once used to clear debris from the Mount St. Helens eruption, was removed from the Columbia River at Rainier in December 2024. This project was a high priority due to the threat of a significant marine accident and environmental cleanup on the Columbia River without state intervention.

DSL seized the Dredge in May 2024, and the vessel was towed to a dismantling facility in Portland in November of that year. Over the next two months, the vessel underwent materials testing and hazardous materials mitigation and was then dismantled. The total cost of this project was $1.328 million, and DSL is pursuing the owner of the Dredge to recover those costs.

In August 2024, the ADV Program averted an environmental disaster in Coos Bay by seizing a 139-foot vessel that was taking on water and beginning to sink.

The El Conquistador arrived in the bay 22 years earlier with an owner who immediately began defaulting on moorage fees. In 2004, the vessel was auctioned by the U.S. Marshals Service and purchased by an optimistic entrepreneur for a bid of $60,000.

By March 2024, the El Conquistador had deteriorated significantly and the community tapped the new ADV Program to help. Vessels of this size and condition have unique challenges. The El Conquistador needed to be moved from its highly risky location right away, and is currently moored out of the water, but ultimate dismantling and disposal is pending.

Oregon's ADV Program in the News

Publish Date	Title and Link	Source
10/2/2025	Between safety and shelter: Oregon faces a complex abandoned boat problem	OPB
8/18/2025	Oregon secures new funding to remove abandoned boats from waterways	OPB
7/28/2025	The U.S. government sold off aging ships — leaving states in the Pacific Northwest to pay the price	Oregon Capitol Chronical
12/5/2024	Abandoned Hazardous Barge Removed from the Columbia River	DSL Press Release
12/5/2024	Abandoned barge removed from Columbia River	KGW
10/31/2024	Agencies join forces, funds to remove 9 hazardous vessels	DSL Press Release
10/31/2024	Nine sunken boats removed from the Columbia River in St. Helens	KOIN
8/14/2024	Derelict vessel removed from Empire	The Bandon Western World
10/13/2023	State Removes First Hazardous Vessel with New Funding	DSL Press Release