Smokin Joe
05-05-2006, 05:54 PM
No wake zone on river OK'd
By DAVID BELL
Thursday, May 4, 2006 11:00 PM MDT
Boaters will have to act like angels through the Devil's Elbow, according to new rules established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A no wake zone has been established on the Colorado River at the Devil's Elbow area of Topock Gorge at the request of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.
John Earle, manager of the refuge, said the area is narrow and features a dangerously sharp turn. “Devil's Elbow has had several serious boating accidents in the past. The no wake zone is intended to slow boaters down so they can navigate the turn safely.”
In addition to the new rule at Topock Gorge, the backwater area between the south buoy line at the entrance to the river and Castle Rock is now a no wake and No Personal Watercraft (PWC) zone. Buoys will mark both areas.
Waterskiing is also prohibited along the entire stretch of the Colorado River from the north end of Lake Havasu to the I-40 Bridge. And loud boats are not permitted to operate on any area of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.
“Loud noise is extremely disturbing to most wildlife and reduces the value of the refuge. Excessive noise also affects the quality of the experience for human visitors,” said Earle.
The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge manages the Arizona portions of Lake Havasu and shoreline from Windsor Beach north to the river entrance near Catfish Bay. From Catfish Bay to the I-40 Bridge both sides of the river are managed by the refuge as is another ten miles north on the Arizona side. Congress has designated about 18,000 acres of refuge lands on both sides of the Colorado River through Topock Gorge as National Wilderness.
By DAVID BELL
Thursday, May 4, 2006 11:00 PM MDT
Boaters will have to act like angels through the Devil's Elbow, according to new rules established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A no wake zone has been established on the Colorado River at the Devil's Elbow area of Topock Gorge at the request of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.
John Earle, manager of the refuge, said the area is narrow and features a dangerously sharp turn. “Devil's Elbow has had several serious boating accidents in the past. The no wake zone is intended to slow boaters down so they can navigate the turn safely.”
In addition to the new rule at Topock Gorge, the backwater area between the south buoy line at the entrance to the river and Castle Rock is now a no wake and No Personal Watercraft (PWC) zone. Buoys will mark both areas.
Waterskiing is also prohibited along the entire stretch of the Colorado River from the north end of Lake Havasu to the I-40 Bridge. And loud boats are not permitted to operate on any area of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.
“Loud noise is extremely disturbing to most wildlife and reduces the value of the refuge. Excessive noise also affects the quality of the experience for human visitors,” said Earle.
The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge manages the Arizona portions of Lake Havasu and shoreline from Windsor Beach north to the river entrance near Catfish Bay. From Catfish Bay to the I-40 Bridge both sides of the river are managed by the refuge as is another ten miles north on the Arizona side. Congress has designated about 18,000 acres of refuge lands on both sides of the Colorado River through Topock Gorge as National Wilderness.