2008 Year In Review
As a new year begins and the start of another exciting boating season is just a few months away, the Division of Watercraft takes a moment to highlight some of the more notable accomplishments that occurred in 2008. Here’s a recap of some of those highlights:
- Eighteen new state watercraft officers completed their professional training and began their duty assignments in August, 2008.
- A group of 20 veteran watercraft officers and supervisors joined with other ODNR officers in responding to a call for emergency assistance in September and deployed to southwest Louisiana where they aided victims of Hurricane Ike.
- More than $564,000 was awarded to 28 community law enforcement agencies statewide in funding assistance of local marine patrols units.
- Over $364,000 was awarded to 33 community organizations in support of local boating safety education and skills development programs.
- Over $2.3 million in grants was awarded to help fund public boating access facility improvement projects at 12 sites around Ohio.
- A significant phase in construction of the new state park marina on Middle Bass Island was completed in November as the marina basin was refilled with water.
- Boating access and opportunities were improved through changes in state law and administrative rules. As a result, the horsepower limit was increased July 1 from 10 to 20 horsepower on Pymatuning Reservoir in Ashtabula County. (A rule change previously adopted by Pennsylvania lawmakers made this horsepower change effective lakewide.)
- A “slow tow” provision became effective July 1 that allows boaters to tow ski tubes and other “towable devices” at idle speed in areas outside of the designated speed and ski zones throughout most of Ohio’s inland waterways.
- Due to a rule change that became effective July 1, boats with motors greater than 10 horsepower are now permitted for use only at idle speed, or slower, on these Division of Wildlife-owned lakes: Knox Lake (Knox County), Lake La Su An (Williams County), Oxbow Lake (Defiance County) and Rupert Lake (Vinton County). Similarly, the electric motor-only restriction for boats used on Zeppernick Lake (Trumbull County) and Greenfield and Rockmill lakes (Fairfield County), was removed to allow the use of gasoline-powered boat motors no greater than 10 horsepower.
- Horsepower limits on Tappan Lake and Seneca Lake within the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District were increased July 1 from 299 to 399 horsepower.
- The Division of Watercraft implemented the selling of alternative registrations for eligible boats statewide at each of its 11 field offices. A record 11,276 watercraft registrations were processed online through the Division’s web site. A web-based information system was established to allow watercraft registration agents statewide to verify boat registration information using the Internet.
- Waterways Safety Council member Norm Schultz, of Westlake, completed 26 years of service to the advisory board and was succeeded by John Onacila Jr., of Cleveland, through appointment by Governor Ted Strickland.
- The Division was instrumental in developing the hottest new attraction enjoyed at the 2008 Ohio State Fair – an above-ground kayak tank measuring 40 feet wide by 100 feet long. More than 3,500 children were introduced to recreational paddling.
- PI&E manager Emily King became the first two-time recipient of National Boating Safety Award as presented by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.
- The Division of Watercraft and local developers in the greater Toledo area received an Outstanding Project Award from the States Organization for Boating Access for assisting construction of the Skyway Marina along the Maumee River in downtown Toledo.
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