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Make way for traveling manatees heading for warmer water Make way for traveling manatees heading for warmer waterNovember is Manatee Awareness Month, and for good reason. Florida manatees are on the move, seeking warm-water sites to spend the winter. That means boaters must be cautious and watch for Florida’s official marine mammal and for changing speed zones on waterways.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) changes seasonal speed zone signs in mid-November on many waterways to accommodate manatee migration. Boaters should scan the water near or in front of the boat - looking for swirls resembling a large footprint, a repetitive line of half-moon swirls, a mud trail, or a snout or fluke (tail) breaking the water’s surface. Kipp Frohlich, leader of FWC’s Imperiled Species Management Section, said boaters can help manatees have a safe migration by staying in marked channels, wearing polarized sunglasses to improve vision, obeying posted boat speed zones, using poles, paddles or trolling motors when in close proximity to manatees, and having someone help scan the water when under way. "If you think you see a manatee, give it plenty of room because it may not be alone. It may have a calf or be traveling with other manatees," Frohlich said. Besides slowing down and following the FWC’s recommendations, residents can help manatees survive by purchasing the specialty manatee license plate. The funds collected for these plates go directly into manatee research and conservation. For more information about manatees, visit www.MyFWC.com/manatee/ Winter (manatee-related) boat speed zone changes by countyBrevard County: Nov. 15 - March 31 No entry and motorboats prohibited zones - North Indian River area around discharge canals of the Reliant Corporation Power Plant and Florida Power and Light Frontenac Power Plant. Idle speed zone - West of Intracoastal Waterway in general vicinity of power plants. Broward County: Nov. 15 - March 31 Idle speed - Port Everglades Power Plant area, including part of the discharge canal. Portions of the South New River Canal and Dania Cut-off Canal near the Lauderdale Power Plant. Slow speed - Intracoastal Waterway from the Palm Beach County line through Hillsboro Inlet south to Burnham Point. (Note: some portions are weekend-only slow-speed). Citrus County: Sept. 1 - Feb. 28 25 mph - Lower (western) portions of the Withlacoochee River and Bennetts Creek. Sept. 1 - March 31 25 mph - Lower (western) portions of the Chassahowitzka River. Sept. 1 - April 30 Idle speed or slow speed - portions of Kings Bay. Oct. 1 - April 30 Slow speed - Portions of the Homosassa River between the Salt River and Trade Winds Marina and southern portion of Halls River. Nov. 15 - April 30 Slow speed - All waters in the vicinity of the Florida Power Corp. effluent canal. Nov. 15 - March 31 No entry - Within the Blue Waters area of the upper Homosassa River near Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Dade County: Nov. 15 - April 30 No entry - Portions of the Biscayne Canal, Little River and Coral Gables Canal. Slow speed - Within portions of Meloy (or East) Channel and portions of the Intracoastal Waterway in Dumfoundling Bay and Biscayne Bay between Broad Causeway and Venetian Causeway. Hillsborough County: Nov. 15 - March 31 No entry - Portions of the discharge canal of the TECO Power Plant in Apollo Beach. Idle speed - General vicinity of the TECO Power Plant in Apollo Beach. Indian River County: Nov. 1 - April 30 Slow speed - Within Sand and Shell islands area, Channel Marker 66 south to Channel Marker 75; Indian River area from Hobert Lodge Marina to North Canal, and from Channel Marker 156 south to St. Lucie County line west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Nov. 15 - March 31 No entry - Portion of canal system adjacent to Vero Beach Power Plant. Lee County: Nov. 15 - March 31 No entry - Discharge and intake canals of the Florida Power and Light Tice Power Plant. Idle speed and slow speed - Portions of the Intracoastal Waterway channel on the Caloosahatchee River in the vicinity of the Tice Power Plant. 25 mph - Portions of Estero Bay, Hurricane Bay, Hell Peckney Bay and Hendry Creek. Seasonally unregulated - Cayo Costa, North Captiva, Captiva and St. James City areas. Levy County: Year-round no-entry zone - Manatee Springs State Park (manatee protection). Palm Beach County: Nov. 15 - March 31 Motorboats prohibited - Within general vicinity of Florida Power and Light Riviera Beach Power Plant discharge canals. Slow speed - Outside the main channel in the Loxahatchee River, and in the north and southwest forks of the Loxahatchee River. Idle speed and slow speed zones - Look for shore-to-shore speed zone changes north and south of Peanut Island near the Florida Power and Light Riviera Beach Power Plant. Oct. 1 - May 31 25 mph - Portions of the Intracoastal Waterway channel between State Road 706 and Lake Worth, and south of Lake Worth to Broward County. Sarasota County: Nov. 15 - March 15 No entry - Portion of Salt Creek and Warm Mineral Springs north of U.S. 41. St. Lucie County: Nov. 15 - March 31 Motorboats prohibited - Within Moores’ Creek. Nov. 15 - April 15 Slow speed - Within Garfield Cut/Fish House Cove area. Nov. 15 - April 30 Slow speed - Within Intracoastal Waterway channel between North Beach Causeway south to Channel Marker 189 and within the Shark Cut Channel in the Ft. Pierce Inlet area. Volusia County: Sept. 1 - March 31 25 mph - Portions of the Tomoka River and Spruce Creek. Oct. 15 - April 15 Motorboats prohibited - Blue Spring Run. Slow speed - St. Johns River, south of Lake Beresford to Channel Marker 67. Complete copies of individual county waterway rules are available at: www.flrules.org/ or www.MyFWC.com/manatee/rules/, or by contacting the FWC at 850-922-4330. Zone Definitions:Idle speed (No wake) - Lowest speed needed to maintain steering and make headway (speed used when docking a boat). Slow speed (No excessive wake) - Fully off plane and completely settled in the water, not plowing. Motorboats prohibited zone - Entry is prohibited for any vessel being propelled or powered by machinery. No entry - No vessels or other human-related activities allowed. |
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