Reply With QuoteHo well what can you do
More rules could soon be on deck for Bridgewater Channel visitors.
With new signs installed along the channel reading: Mooring at tie downs only. One vessel per tie down, City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday evening related to mooring in Lake Havasu City's famous waterway.
The ordinance passed on a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers Vall Striyle, Margaret Nyberg, and Cindy Aldridge voted against the measure.
City Manager Richard Kaffenberger and Interim Police Chief Dan Doyle pointed out that the city code already allows the city manager to designate areas of the channel as no mooring areas, and to direct staff to post signs restricting allowable tie up areas without adoption of the latest water-related law.
Labor Day weekend visitors will need to comply with the signs posted, but not the ordinances introduced.
President of Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce Lisa Krueger, said timing might not be the greatest.
It will be virtually impossible to broadcast that message [on mooring signs], she said, adding, Obviously safety is a top priority. It's always wise to give people who frequent the channel [time to adjust].
Reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Harvey Jackson was not aware of the signs being posted, but said council had discussed clarifying Lake Havasu City's policies concerning mooring.
The chamber has given its position on mooring in the past. It favors 11-foot mooring spaces rather than the current 15-foot separations.
As introduced on Tuesday, the amended ordinance states that unless a watercraft is moored to a designated mooring post, no boater may moor, park, anchor, or leave their watercraft standing within 25 feet of the east side of the channel.
A separate ordinance also prohibits children under the age of 12 from operating a watercraft of greater than 8 horsepower in the channel, unless an adult properly supervises the child.
One misunderstanding between councilmembers and Interim City Attorney Paul Lenkowsky was whether a similar state statute prohibiting riding on certain parts of watercraft would apply to Lake Havasu's channel.
The Arizona version applies only to boats traveling above wake-less speed, said Doyle. All boats traveling within the channel travel at wake-less speed, so the state rule is not enforceable, he said.
Lenkowsky agreed.
Like the broad behavior ordinance, these last two provisions are classified Class 1 misdemeanors, punishable up to a $2,500 fine and six months in jail.
The mooring ordinance does not include any details on possible penalties.
Ho well what can you do
Should make for some fun come Labor Day.
One important distinction that has not been addressed (to my knowledge) is that this new mooring ordinance will only apply on the kokomo side, the only side that has mooring rings. The dogpark side will be unaffected by this ordinance. So really, not that many mooring spots will be lost.
One important distinction that has not been addressed (to my knowledge) is that this new mooring ordinance will only apply on the kokomo side, the only side that has mooring rings. The dogpark side will be unaffected by this ordinance. So really, not that many mooring spots will be lost.
Right now, that is true, but the city plans on extending the seawall on the island side.
I personally don't feel 11' is too restrictive.
Hello again --
Last night, the Lake Havasu City Council approved the introduction of two new ordinances that pertain to boating in the Bridgewater Channel. One of the ordinances generally requires people riding in a boat in the Channel to remain in the passenger area of the craft and not on the bow, transom, gunwales, or the deck over an enclosed bow while the boat is under power. This statute already exists under state law, but it does not apply to watercraft moving at a "wakeless" speed.
Obviously, boats operate at wakeless speeds (mostly) in the Channel, but the occasional crowded traffic conditions and the potential for serious injury (or even death) prompted the need to take the state statute and modify it to apply in the Channel. I'm sure most of you have witnessed the dangerous conditions that this ordinance addresses. I see it almost every time I visit the Channel, and I have also seen the tragedy that can result when a child slips from the bow of a pontoon boat and is run over by his father. I have heard and read some comments that this ordinance is designed to keep people from dancing on their boats. That's crap. Dance in the passenger area.
The other ordinance limits boat mooring on the EAST SHORE of the Channel. (that's the mainland/golf course/London Bridge Resort side) The existing seawall has mooring rings imbedded in the wall and the ordinance will limit mooring to one boat, or two PWCs, per ring. The rings are 15' apart.
As I said, these ordinances have been introduced and must be formally adopted at a future Council meeting. The soonest that could happen is Sept. 12, but that agenda has not been set as of today. An ordinance goes into effect 30 days after it is adopted.
These are just the highlights, so as soon as I have an electronic copy of both ordinances, I will post them here for your information.
Have a great day.
Charlie Cassens
Should make for some fun come Labor Day.
more money for the city
The other ordinance limits boat mooring on the EAST SHORE of the Channel. (that's the mainland/golf course/London Bridge Resort side) The existing seawall has mooring rings imbedded in the wall and the ordinance will limit mooring to one boat, or two PWCs, per ring. The rings are 15' apart.
Charlie Cassens
So that explains it...Seems like it is already on the books. Last time I was there we saw the cops force a PWC to move because it was in between two boats that were parked in front of the sea wall.
For the record, the state sets the fine schedule and the small percentage that the city gets to keep doesn't even cover hookin, bookin, prosecution and court costs.
Here are the ordinances as promised:
ORDINANCE NO. 06-810
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA, AMENDING CHAPTER 8.16, OF THE LAKE HAVASU CITY MUNICIPAL CODE ENTITLED WATERCRAFT, BY ADDING NEW SECTION 8.16.230 ENTITLED RESTRICTIONS ON OPERATIONS OF WATERCRAFT, PROHIBITING PERSONS FROM RIDING ON THE GUNWALES, TRANSOM, OR THE DECK OVER THE BOW OF A WATERCRAFT UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, PROHIBITING PASSENGERS OVER THE AGE OF TWELVE (12) FROM OPERATING A WATERCRAFT WITH A MOTOR OF GREATER THEN EIGHT (8) HORSEPOWER UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT, LEGAL GUARDIAN OR AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO IS EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, EXCEPT IN CASES OF EMERGENCY, AND PRESCRIBING A PENALTY FOR THE VIOLATION THEREOF.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Mayor and City Council of Lake Havasu City, Arizona that Chapter 8.16 of the Lake Havasu City Municipal Code entitled Watercraft is hereby amended through the addition of new section 8.16.230 entitled Restrictions on Operations of Watercraft to read as follows:
Section 8.16.230 Restrictions on operations of watercraft
A. No person shall operate a watercraft in the Bridgewater Channel while allowing a person to ride on the gunwales, the transom or the deck over bow of a watercraft in motion and being propelled by machinery unless:
1. That portion of the watercraft was designed and constructed for the purpose of carrying passengers at all speeds.
2. The watercraft is being maneuvered for anchoring, mooring or casting off moorings.
B. No person shall operate a watercraft in the Bridgewater Channel with a passenger or passengers on the bow in such a manner as to obstruct the view of the operator.
C. Except in case of emergency, no person under the age of twelve (12) years may operate a watercraft in the Bridgewater Channel propelled by a motor of greater then eight (8) horsepower unless the persons parent or legal guardian or at least one person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older is present on the watercraft.
D. Penalties
1. Any person violating any provision of this ordinance shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
2. Any penalty assessment levied by the City Magistrate pursuant to applicable law, shall not be considered as part of the fine for purposes of determining the minimum fine to be imposed.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Mayor and City Council of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, this ____ day of ________________, 2006.
ORDINANCE NO. 06-811
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA, AMENDING SECTION 8.16.130, LAKE HAVASU CITY MUNICIPAL CODE ENTITLED MOORING IN CHANNEL BY REQUIRING THAT WATERCRAFT MOORED, PARKED, ANCHORED OR LEFT STANDING IN THE EAST SIDE OF THE BRIDGEWATER CHANNEL BE MOORED TO A MOORING POST.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Mayor and City Council of Lake Havasu City, Arizona that Section 8.16.130 of the Lake Havasu City Municipal Code entitled Mooring in Channel be amended through the addition of new section 8.16.130(E) to read as follows:
Section 8.16.130 Mooring in Channel
E. No person shall moor, cause to be moored, parked, anchored, or left standing, any watercraft located within twenty five feet of the east side of the Bridgewater channel, unless that watercraft is moored to a mooring post. Not more than one watercraft may be moored to a mooring post at the same time.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Mayor and City Council of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, this ____ day of ________________, 2006.
BTW -- The "two PWC" rule I mentioned before was added last night and is not reflected in the above text, but will be included in the adopted version.
Charlie Casssens
Posting Permissions