The Wheatland Ferry is a

cable ferry A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...

that connects Marion County and Yamhill County across the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. The ferry travels approximately across the river, depending on the height of the river, and is powered by two electric motors connected to an on-board diesel generator. The ferry is supported by two steel cables, one under water on the downriver side, and one overhead on the upriver side. The ferry also uses the overhead cable for steering. Each time a replacement Wheatland ferry is launched, it is always named ''Daniel Matheny'', after the person who originally established the ferry, followed by its number as a

Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...

. The current ferry, launched in 2002 is ''Daniel Matheny V''. This most recent ferry differs from its predecessors in that it has a capacity of nine cars, rather than the six ''Daniel Matheny IV'' carried, and it has its own self-contained diesel-electric generator. As its source of electricity is now an onboard generator, the current ferry is no longer reliant on electricity from overhead wires. The overhead cable serves the sole purpose of bracing the ferry against the current. The ferry is a joint operation of Marion and Yamhill counties, with Marion County taking the responsibility of staffing and operating the ferry. It operates every day that river conditions permit. In summer, low water levels can cause the ferry to bottom out. Dredging is sometimes employed to deepen the ferry's crossing lane to keep it operating longer during the dry season. During rainy months, high water levels and fast currents can stop ferry operations. All vehicles must pay a toll. Pedestrians travel at no charge.

Location

The Wheatland Ferry is located at Willamette River mile 72, near the former community of Wheatland and

Willamette Mission State Park Willamette Mission State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, located about four miles (6 km) north of Keizer adjacent to the Wheatland Ferry and east of the Willamette River. It includes Willamette Station Site, Methodist Mi ...

and roughly between the cities of Salem and Newberg. Its location is strategic, because the nearest bridge in either direction is roughly 15 miles distant. The Wheatland Ferry is sometimes used as an alternative to the bridge which crosses the Willamette River in Salem.

History

The first Daniel Matheny ferry was started by Daniel Matheny himself, in the 1850s. The ferry was a wooden raft powered by men with wooden poles. The current ferry was built at Mar Com Shipyard in Portland Oregon in 2001.

Controversy

The Wheatland Ferry has been a catalyst for local political controversy. Some of this is the natural result of the challenges of inter-county politics and budget issues. Motorists who frequently use the ferry are another factor, citing long wait times, frequent closures for maintenance and increasing prices. Because of its proximity to Salem, the state's capital and second largest city, political and practical issues over Salem's own bridge issues affect the Wheatland Ferry. Additional concerns about the ferry's operation were raised after the ferry operator was found to be intoxicated while running the ferry on November 4, 2012.

Ridership

The estimated annual number of vehicle crossings for 2007 was 240,000. While Yamhill and Marion counties are trying to increase ridership, the wait for the ferry can be lengthy at peak times. During harvest seasons, the ferry is frequently used by farmers delivering produce to

canneries Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although un ...

across the river.

References

External links

Wheatland Ferry Information from Marion County

Historic photos of the Wheatland Ferry from Salem Public Library
{{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place =