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Boating Restricted On St. Johns River

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 31, 2008

ORLANDO - Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer, but holiday celebrations that were to include water activities on and around the St. Johns River are shaping up to be ones worth forgetting.

It's not going to be too great for many people who make their livelihood along the river, either.

From Lake George in northwest Volusia County to State Road 50 in east Orange County, watercraft are either prohibited from using the river and the lakes and tributaries along it, or they must creep along at idle speed.

It's all because of the flooding from Tropical Storm Fay. The rules are meant to protect homes and other structures from further damage from the water and protect boaters from hazards they might encounter on the flooded river, officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Friday.

The need to protect homeowners and boaters outweighs the need for recreation, said Lt. Jeff Hudson with the conservation commission.

With water levels so high, it's hard to determine the location of the river's channel, Hudson said. Everything from fences to fallen trees is underwater and creates hidden obstacles for boaters, he said.

The only exemptions in the "no vessel" zones are emergency watercraft, vessels being used by residents who can reach their homes only by water and boats operated by licensed Coast Guard master captains.

So far, just one boat operator in Volusia County, who ignored warnings, has been cited for operating in a "no vessel" zone, Hudson said.

McClatchy-Tribune

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