Reply With QuoteGood to know AJ. From what I was told by the sherriff long ago was not to even attempt to take a flat on the north side of the bridge, especially with no mufflers. South of the bridge was open game.
Afterbay speed rules have some asking for what they don't want
By ROGER H. AYLWORTH - Staff Writer
Memorial Hill in the Thermalito Afterbay off Highway 162 (Jason Halley/Enterprise-Record)
Chico E-R
OROVILLE - A furor has developed over boat speeds on the Thermalito Afterbay, and the man in charge of the facility says if the complainers get what they are asking for, it won't be what they want.
Andy Atkinson, the Department of Fish and Game wildlife supervisor who oversees the operation of the afterbay, cringes a little bit when boat speeds on the manmade lake west of Oroville are mentioned.
Since the afterbay was first filled in the late 1960s as part of the Oroville Dam complex, the area has been a draw to wildlife and human visitors alike. Water skiers, personal watercraft riders, sailboaters, waterfowl and other flora and fauna have all enjoyed the lake.
Until 1986 the afterbay was under the control of the state Department of Water Resources, but that year it was passed to DFG as a "wildlife refuge."
That would have been fine, according to Atkinson, but the transfer put the body of water under state regulations that limit the speed of all motorized vessels to a maximum of 5 mph.
The problem, or maybe the good thing, was nobody recognized at that time that the afterbay fell under this speed limitation. Meanwhile, high-speed ski boats and personal watercraft careened around the waterway just as they always had.
No changes came about until the DWR began the process to relicense the Oroville Dam complex with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
According to Atkinson that was when the speed limit regulation was discovered.
All of a sudden the DFG and Atkinson discovered they are under an official obligation, given the rules as written, to clamp a tight limit on the speed of motorized vehicles.
Atkinson said "a lot of misinformation" began to circulate.
Word got out, but the word got garbled, and many recreational boaters got the idea the DFG was attempting to impose a "new" speed limit.
That led to a flurry of letters and e-mails about the "new" speed limit.
"The statement that is really bad is, Don't change the existing regulation.'
"If we don't change the regulation then no boats can be out there over 5 miles an hour," said Atkinson.
Atkinson, who came to the afterbay in 1999, has been cast in the role of the evil villain, who wants to take all the fun out of the water.
He said nothing could be further from the truth.
"On a wildlife area, we have to try to use compatible recreation where appropriate," he explained.
When he found out about the situation he began consulting with a range of interests.
"We listened to various user groups -- water-skiing personal watercraft and the sailboat people who don't like any of them."
He said, notwithstanding the rediscovered regulation, there is a long and well-established history of high-speed boating on the waterway.
"What I said was, hey we need to fix this."
Beyond recognizing the history, there was also a practical consideration.
"This is crazy. If I politically tried to close all the waters of afterbay to boating, there would be a fight."
He said the specific future of the afterbay is tied up in the dam-relicensing process, but he said the DFG was going to establish an amended regulation that will specify areas closed to high-speed vessels and places reserved for boats with paddles or sails. He said the tentative plan would be limiting high-speed craft to the area south of the Highway 162 bridge. Everything north of that would have a 5 mph limit.
However, it is not a change he can just impose.
He said the regulation change will have to go before the state Fish and Game Commission for approval.
Atkinson said he believes the board would approve such a change, but, "It is a public process.
"The Fish and Game Commission is open to the public and you never know what is going to crawl out of the woodwork.
"The problem is most people are sending letters saying don't change the regulation," and if they get what they are asking for, it won't be what they want, Atkinson explained.
Staff writer Roger H. Aylworth can be reached at 896-7762 or by e-mail at aylworth@chicoer.com.
THE BACKGROUND: High speed boats have been using the Thermalito Afterbay from the time it was first filled.
THE NEWS: A recently discovered "old" regulation calls for a 5-mile-per-hour speed limit on the afterbay.
THE FUTURE: The local Department of Fish and Game official says the regulations will be changed to open most of the waterway to high speeds.
Good to know AJ. From what I was told by the sherriff long ago was not to even attempt to take a flat on the north side of the bridge, especially with no mufflers. South of the bridge was open game.
And this surfaces after Miss Bud did something like 228 MPH & change average both ways...south of the bridge of course.
That water is damn near perfect: Only about 30 feet deep everywhere and shielded from wind somewhat by the levy that surrounds it.
If the offense is crying foul about our speed runs, then maybe we'd all better start responding in rebuttal, and send our letters in favor of continuing fast boats at the Afterbay, to that email adress in the top post.]
LO
More than likely Lakes its all the new homes that are popping up close by. Butte County Sherriff has always been cool out there unless you were an idiot. He would even radar your boat for you if you asked. But between the tree hugging society and the new homes things will get quieter up here in there northern area.
Posting Permissions
