Updated boating restrictions for the flooding St. Johns River

Updated boating restrictions for the flooding St. Johns River

As flooding continues on parts of the St. Johns River, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in cooperation with local, state and federal partners, has enacted a new emergency rule for the affected areas of the river, including its associated lakes and tributaries.

The new rule is in effect immediately as follows:

• Idle-speed, no-wake zone from the waters south of the Lake George fender system to the Highlands Park Canal at channel marker 39.
   
• No-vessel zone on the waters of the river from Highlands Park Canal at channel marker 39 to the Interstate 4 Bridge in Lake Monroe (see vessel exceptions below).
   
• Idle-speed, no-wake zone from the I-4 Bridge to longitudinal line 81 degrees 15 minutes, 00 seconds west (generally, the western portion of Lake Monroe from Stone Island to the Sanford City Marina).
   
• No-vessel zone in Lake Monroe east and south of the area described in the previous bullet and continuing east and south all the way to State Road 50 (see vessel exceptions below).
   
• Vessel access is permitted as usual south of State Road 50.

Vessel exceptions: the no-vessel zones will not apply to the following:

• Emergency vessels
• U.S. Coast Guard licensed master captains
• Waterfront residents who have no access to their property except by water. Those residents will be allowed access to and from their properties at idle-speed, no-wake, and must carry proof of residency and have it available for inspection.
• Exempted vessels are responsible for damage caused by their wakes.

All of these restricted boating zones are in effect and enforceable when the St. Johns River level is at specified flood stages. The river is at those flood stages now.

The rule (68DER 08-02 F.A.C.) will be in effect for 90 days or until flooding conditions have sufficiently abated so that the restrictions are no longer justified.

The river and its waters will be monitored daily so that restrictions may be revised as needed. However, conditions are not expected to change over the Labor Day weekend.

The St. Johns River and its waters may be dangerous for vessels right now and the FWC is asking boaters to avoid using these areas if possible until these restrictions are lifted. There are many other water bodies available to boaters in Central Florida that are navigable at this time.