Even the casual windsurfer knows that Hood River is a prime destination for reliable summer waves. But this laid-back Oregon town in the Columbia River Gorge received a big gift from Mother Nature this winter -- and watersports aficionados may want to return it.

November flooding created 26 acres of new beach on the Columbia, right where windsurfers love to hit up the water. A key launching point for kiteboarders has also been affected by the impromptu delta, according to the Hood River News.

Many town residents will be watching anxiously this summer to see how the change to the waterfront alters tourist traffic. Some are predicting the new beach may prove beneficial, allowing for more conventional recreation. Others fear it will crowd out windsurfers and kiteboarders, making for a more congested river.

The town's cruise ship dock has been completely blocked, and cruise ships have already written Hood River off their schedules for this summer.

Scientists estimate that on Nov. 7, more than one million cubic yards of debris saturated tributaries and filled the Hood River, which carried it downstream to the Columbia.

Dredging the area to make it boat-accessible, and more closely resemble the pre-flood area, is estimated to cost $1 million. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which would carry out such an operation, says it doesn't have the funds available this year.