CHESAPEAKE BAY NAVAGATION UPDATES:
The State of North Carolina, in a 2009 session, has added requirements that recreational boaters must now keep a log of pump outs on board your vessels, and the new regulation goes into affect July 1, 2010.
House Bill 1378 makes it a misdemeanor for a vessel to not have this log on board.
The bill states that all vessel owners and operators are required to keep a log of pumpout dates. Any owner or operator of a vessel that has a marine sanitation device shall maintain a record of the date of each pumpout of the marine sanitation device and the location of the pumpout facility. Each record shall be maintained for a period of one year from the date of the pumpout. Section 1 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2010.
So as you see, although this is considered a misdemeanor, the fines can be considerable depending on the interpretation of the regulations. Section 1, 77-128 says no civil penalties shall be assessed and Section 1, 77-130 states fines can be up to $10,000.00. As we reported earlier in an April Waterway Alert, sections of the ICW in North Carolina have been designated a No Discharge Zone. The state of North Carolina joins a growing number of states that are taking a hard approach to the discharge of waste from recreation vessels.
We have received some further clarification on this which makes it about as
clear as mud. According to the legislation the definition for the exact areas
covered are as follows,
A vessel in coastal waters that are either designated as a no discharge zone
or are included in a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency to be
designated as a no discharge zone unless the petition has been denied by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
So to know if it applies, you will need to know what waters have been petitioned
as no discharge zones. That certainly will make it clear.
Many have questioned whether this applies only to North Carolina boats or boats in transit. As the legislation is written, it applies to ANY vessel, which we will have to assume means transient, registered in other states, or documented vessels. We will provide you with more information as it becomes available. Stay tuned since it is not July yet.
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If the Dismal Canal is on your cruising itinerary for the first of the month, take a look at this notice from the Corp. of Engineers.
Posted April 27, 2010
By Brittany Brown
Norfolk District Public Affairs
04/26/2010 - NORFOLK, Va. - Increased vessel traffic is expected along the Dismal Swamp Canal May 1 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Delays may be experienced by motorized boats navigating on the Dismal Swamp Canal as more than 300 paddlers participate in the 7th Annual Paddle for the Border event.
The annual event, sponsored by the Dismal Swamp State Park, Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and City of Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department, gives participants an opportunity to paddle 7.5 miles from the Dismal Swamp State Park in North Carolina to the Great Dismal Swamp Boat Ramp in Chesapeake, Va.
"We are pleased at the overwhelming response to Paddle for the Border each year," said Gail Bradshaw, special programs coordinator for the City of Chesapeake Parks & Recreation department.
Paddlers will be traveling from several states, as well as localities throughout North Carolina and Virginia to participate in the event.
"This year, we have about 30 more participants than last year. It is important that everyone be mindful of the increased water traffic so it is an enjoyable, safe and hazard- free experience," continued Bradshaw.
Paddlers have been advised to move to the side of the Canal when a motorized boat approaches. However, motorized boats are advised to proceed slowly and with extreme caution.
Park Rangers from three different jurisdictions will provide on-water boat operations in support of the event while the Chesapeake fire department community emergency response team unit plans to provide on-bank observations and emergency medical services.
Did you know?
The Dismal Swamp Canal was inspired by George Washington, who as a surveyor of rural lands, made his first visit to the Great Dismal Swamp in May 1763. Washington, along with other prominent Virginians and North Carolinians, suggested draining the swamp and digging a north-south canal through it to connect the waters of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. In 1805, after 12 years of back-breaking construction, the 22 mile long Dismal Swamp Canal was finally completed. Since 1929, the Corps' Norfolk District has held the responsibility for maintaining and operating the Dismal Swamp Canal, which has the distinction as the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States.
