I was offered the opportunity to kayak on the Willamette River to the falls last Thursday. I jumped at the chance. Not only was I interested in learning to kayak, but I also wanted to see the city of West Linn from a different point of view.

West Linn City Councilor Mike Jones introduced me to Sam Drevo, the founder of Northwest River Guides, which relocated to Oregon City about two years ago from Portland.

Sam is a force to be reckoned with — his ability, experience and passion about all things water are more powerful than the Willamette Falls itself. Sam has competed as a professional whitewater rafter since 1998 and is still heavily involved in the sport, having traveled the world in search of the best whitewater.

Today, Sam teaches others to paddle and advocates for the river.

Last Thursday I joined Sam and Mike Jones along with a few other kayakers, including Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader, who has been taking paddling lessons from Northwest River Guides.

After a short introduction to get us comfortable in the kayaks, we started toward the falls.

Along the way, Sam talked about the history of the river, of the Oregon Trail, of the beginnings for West Linn. He spoke of the fish, the wildlife, the highs and the lows of the tidal river. He talked about innovation, technology and economy of the locks, the dam, the paper plants.

It was great to paddle in the sun and see West Linn from the water, taking in the shoreline that isn’t visible from the freeway or Highway 43. Just in the short time we were out on the water we saw an osprey swooping along the surface and a large sturgeon breach near the falls. Sam even pointed out some petroglyphs on a large rock.

Cheri Holman of West Linn, who works for Sam, said it’s a shame that more residents don’t get out on the water. She wishes that people would take advantage of the natural resources that are sitting out their front doors.

Though the river and the falls are beautiful, industry has taken its toll. The locks, which used to allow transportation around the falls, have been decommissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, thus cutting off a major means of transportation and hurting some businesses. The bankrupt Blue Heron Paper Co. mill sits right on the river on the Oregon City side, and from the water you can see the mass of the facility and can imagine the strain such a large company put on the river.

Scattered along the shoreline I could see where industry has invaded the river, with large pieces of bent and twisted metal here and there, posing a risk to wildlife and boaters.

Sam and his group have recently received funding to collect some of the metal waste from the river to create a sculpture. The task is twofold in that it cleans up the river and creates a piece of art for others to enjoy.

As we headed back to the docks, Sam talked about his kids’ program that he runs on Wednesday evenings during the summer. He gets children as young as 7 in kayaks and teaches them the basics of paddling and maneuvering the boats. But really, he teaches them to love the water.

After an hour and a half of paddling and talking with Sam, I’m now determined to spend more time on the river. You should too.

For more information about Sam and Northwest River Guides, visit northwestriverguides.com.

Lori Hall is the editor of the West Linn Tidings.