Multnomah County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Jason Gates stops to read a sign on the edge of Lewis and Clark State Park.

File photo

Sandy River.

" 'Alcoholic beverages prohibited.' So there you go. That's not negotiable," he said with a smile.

Gates says deputies will be out in force this weekend trying to keep the state park and others along the Sandy River family friendly.

Jeff Hobson is here with his two year old son, Jonas.

He thinks deputies have done a good job this year.

"I was out here last week. I didnt see any rowdiness actually. It was nice for the kids and for the family," said Hobson.

Gates says it's not always that way. He says the Sandy River is so close to Portland and Gresham, parks along the shoreline get crowded fast.

And, he says, when the crowd is drinking alcohol, trouble is rarely far behind.

"So far this year we've had a couple of near riots where we've been able to regain the peace in those situations, but it's always a very precarious situation," said Gates.

That was also the case on the 4th of July at Carver Park in Clackamas County.

Sheriff's deputies closed the park early after as many as 5,000 people nearly rioted.

Back along the Sandy, deputies remind everyone alcohol is prohibited at Lewis and Clark Park and they hope fines and tickets will help solve their biggest problem.

"Alcohol is the big one,” Gates said. “I mean that is the big one that causes more problems than anything else."