Ewauna Rowing Club
The Ewauna (pronounced ee-wanna) Rowing Club (ERC) is a non-profit organization consisting of a group of recreational and competetive rowers. The club was founded in 1970. We are located in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, about halfway between the San Francisco Bay area (or Reno, Nevada) and Portland Oregon. Our elevation is 4000 feet, and our climate is relatively dry.
Facilities and Schedule
Our boathouse was built in 2003, and is located in Veteran's Park, at the south end of downtown Klamath Falls. The ground level of the boathouse has two long bays, one housing the launch and four- and eight-person boats, the other housing two-person boats and singles. (Full members can store personal boats in the boathouse for $100 per seat, per year.) The upper level of the boathouse houses a dozen ergs.The club owns the following boats, available for member use:
Sculling: Two competition training singles, three open water singles, two doubles, two quads.
Sweep Rowing: One pair, three fours, two eights.
Wherries: Two wherries set up for double sculling. These are useful for beginners and/or rough water rowing.
Launch: One motorized launch, which is often on the water for safety and/or coaching purposes. The launch can only be driven by members with a current Oregon Boater's License.
We row on Lake Ewauna, which is adjacent to downtown Klamath Falls and part of the Klamath River system. The lake is fed at the upper (north) end by the 1.5 mile long Link River, which comes out of Klamath Lake. Our primary rowing course is 2000 meters long, from some bridges at the north end, where the Link River enters the lake, to a railroad trestle at the south end. It is possible to pass through the trestle and continue downstream, with some navigation required beyond the trestle. Club members regularly continue another 2 kilometers past the trestle, and occasionally beyond that. (One could row as much as 15 miles downstream from the boathouse!)Our dock is conveniently located about 50 feet from the boathouse. Lake Ewauna rarely sees use by power boats, so we usually share it with the occasional kayaker and an abundance of waterfowl. One will regularly see ducks, geese, grebes, and pelicans on the water, egrets and herons near the banks, and terns and gulls overhead.We generally start rowing on a regular basis in April or May, depending on weather. It is sometimes possible to sneak in a few days prior to that. Our season usually continues into October, with the limiting factor in the fall being limited hours of daylight. Our club rowing times are in the mornings, as afternoons can be windy, and hot during the middle of the summer. With sufficient interest, evening rowing could be added. Here are the current club rowing times:
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings 7:00-8:00 AM
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Mornings 8:15-9:15 AM
Saturday and Sunday Mornings 9:00-10:30 AM until Memorial Day, then 8:00-9:30 AM from then until the end of the season
Row With Us
We have three adult membership levels:
Full Members: These members pay annual dues of $150 in one or two installments. This membership level offers full access to the boathouse facilities, as well as a locker space. This membership also allows for voting on club business. Those with personal boats stored in the boathouse are required to be full members.
Associate Members: These members purchase a punch card, good for ten rows, for $75. The punch card can be shared, and the cost will be credited if the member chooses to upgrade to a full membership. This membership does allow for voting on Club business, but these members can only row when there is at least one full member present.
Introductory Members: These members purchase a punch card, good for five rows, for $40. The punch card can be shared, and the cost will be credited if the member chooses to upgrade to a full membership. This membership is only for new members (first time rowers with the Club). Introductory members do not have Club voting rights, and can only row when at least one full member is present.
We welcome people with no previous rowing experience! One need not be a great athlete to row. A very modest level of fitness is all that is required, although those with back problems may wish to avoid the sport. We appreciate advance notice (see Contact), but anyone wishing to give rowing a try can simply show up at one of our club rowing sessions. (We require completion of a liability waiver and a form certifying that one knows how to swim.) Beginners will spend a few minutes on a rowing machine, and likely start out on the water in a stable two-person wherry, with an experienced rower. Here are some suggestions as to what to wear, bring, and expect your first time. There is no fee for the first session, but those wishing to continue will need to purchase one of the above memberships.
Two-person wherry on Lake Ewauna
If you are a visiting rower and would like to row with us, contact club president Gregg Waterman or coach Jay Schindler. We ask that visitors make a modest donation to our club - $10 per seat, per row, is suggested.