Safe Boating
  • The state of New York requires one wearable Type I, II, III, or V PFD for each person that is aboard a vessel. All PFDs must be readily accessible.
  • In addition to the above requirement, one Type IV U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD must be on board vessels 16 feet or longer and readily accessible.
  • Type V PFDs are approved but must be worn to be considered legal.
  • Flotation devices that are ripped or in poor condition are not considered approved.
  • All Personal Watercraft (PWC) occupants must be wearing a PFD.
  • Any person towed behind a vessel must be wearing a PFD.
  • All persons on any vessel (this includes motor boats, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, or rowboats) less than 21 feet, must wear a life jacket from November 1 to May 1 when underway.
Invasive Species
To help prevent the introduction and spread of non-native species from one body of water to another, you should:
  • Inspect your boat and remove aquatic plants or animals before you leave any body of water.
  • Flush raw-water cooling systems and clean sea strainers before moving your boat from one body of water to another.
  • Empty bait buckets and remove any plant fragments from bait wells, fishing gear, trailers, dive gear or props. Dispose on land into a garbage receptacle.
  • Drain water from your motor, live wells and bilge.
  • Wash your boat before putting it into a new body of water.
  • Report new infestation of non-native aquatic species to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Lakeshore Homeowners Guide

Lakefront and near-lake homeowners have a special responsibility to keep our waterways clean.
  • Never wash anything directly in the or near the lake.
  • Using soap or cleaning agents to wash pets or equipment contribute to the water.
  • Avoid washing boats or cars near the storm drains too!
  • Never throw wood stove or fireplace ashes into the lake. Ashes contain phosphorus which fertilizes aquatic plants.
  • Minimize your use of fertilizers and be sure your lawn care company uses phosphorus-free fertilizer.
  • Plant a strip of trees or shrubs along the shoreline. The plant roots reduce erosion, and the vegetation can absorb fertilizer before it reaches the lake. It also has scenic benefits and discourages geese from "trespassing"

                                                             
________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Find more news in our archives.