This boat ramp and parking lot is part of the Linn County Sunnyside Park. This provides access to Foster Lake on the Middle and South Santiam Rivers. The park includes a campground, not covered here. The marina is for campground users (with an extra fee) and the docks have no electricity or running water. Marina space may be available for non-campers. The launch area has two ramps with side docks and a separate courtesy dock. Day use fees are charged.

Location

GPS Location: 44.42481, -122.61114

In the above map, the Santiam Highway is the big road, US Highway 20.

For more map detail, go to the Linn County site and also to the interactive Open Street map.

The aerial view above shows two of the three marina docks, with the third being a short distance to the East.

Description

Be aware that the lake is used for flood control that causes low water levels in the winter season. In addition, Foster Lake serves to limit flow variations on the downstream South Santiam River. This is the result of daily variations in water inflow from Green Peter dam and causes water depth variations on Foster Lake. Water level information is available from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The bridge just to the west of the boat ramp is roughly 20 feet above the water level when the lake is full. This can be an issue for sailboats.

The toe of the ramp is 24 feet below full water. This is farther down than any other ramp on Foster lake.