Don't let one special interest group further restrict water sports areas at Lake Havasu!

Hey everyone, My name is Marcel Louis-Jacques, I'm the sports editor for Today's News-Herald in Havasu. I'm looking for opinions on this issue, and would love to hear from anyone who has something to say. My email address is [email protected], please feel free to let me know how you feel. Working on a story and a column. Thanks, Marcel

Bruce you seem like super nice, really positive person, and I do appreciate you not using actual profanity on this public site. I apologize for being so ignorant, and while I do agree that it is wrong, I’d never before realized that getting near someone qualified as a physical assault. I also agree that as you said, “no one should live in terror of being chopped up by a propeller.” But again I think it is selfish of you to think this only applies to paddlers, when fallen skiers/riders/tubers face the exact same danger without the advantage of mobility and far less visibility due to a much smaller profile- especially kids. Finally you stated, laws are being violated, “laws such as skiing without an observer, excessive speed too close to paddlecraft, operat[ing] in reckless and negligent manner, not yielding the right of way, operating under the influence, on and on.” (Sorry for adjusting your quote- only edited for improper grammar). The problem with your argument is that these violations happen all over the lake- yet you’ve made it only about one ½ mile stretch you want exclusively for passive use. Have you requested to close off the entire lake where each of those things happens much more frequently or ONLY the area you desire to have for yourself? Seems if you were really concerned with safety and law breaking your focus would be in other areas of the lake. Stay friendly Capt.

I believe that the access should be inclusive to everyone in order to be fair. All people should be able to enjoy the lake and it isn't as if these people are taking the whole lake. It should also be noted that a good number of people have bought their homes in this location specifically to be able to enjoy their sports on the water. I would hate to see people have to sell their homes in order to find another place to accommodate their boating lifestyles. They are taking only a portion of the lake, a smaller portion of the lake and I believe they have rights as part of the community to enjoy the lake. The rules should be inclusive to all not just a few.

Thank you again for your educated comments! We totally agree with you - and we own powerboats also and "hide out" and "avoid the Lake" too much of the time for fear of our lives on busy weekends and Lake Events. Wouldn't even consider going out paddling during these times. However, we now have the option of safe paddling on the backwaters, even on the Summer Weekends! Thank you again for speaking up!

Thank you for making a clear, educated statement against the ignorance propagated here!!!

No, of course..it is better for "kayakers" to be swamped, terrorize and just die? This Safety measure is to hopefully prevent a death.

Yes. There was a criminal assault "with a deadly weapon" by a power ski boat on 8 passes. The operator/skier even laughed speeding by within 5-10'. Definitely the kayakers here were in definite threat to their lives. On numerous other occasions ''groups" of power craft split up and passed by closely to wake a group of paddlers for fun. Citations have been issued in some of these where ID numbers were photographed. It was all I could do to stop from forcing the worst incident to be pursued in Criminal Court. My wife did not want to pursue it; her and her friend were just grateful to not have ended up "fish bait". We did these "locals" a favor by not pursuing this as this is punishable by prison time. There are numerous more incidents involving others being waked and dumped OUT of their kayaks or just being terrorized. NO ONE should live in terror of being chopped up by a propeller when they are out collecting trash or "birding in a kayak". As a Retired State Water Safety Law Enforcement Officer I take these physical assaults deadly serious. I have personally recovered dead accident victims from the water. My wife has been on numerous water accident body recovery diving missions. Are my feelings hurt - NO I AM $#%*#%& LIVID!

Commentor after commentor on this thread has referenced the fact that the main channel of the Lake has become unsafe for anybody not operating an 80mph powerboat. Agreed! We own a slower, smaller powerboat and we only go on the Lake between October and April because irresponsible power boaters have made this lake unsafe for families during the summer months. Here is a challenge to all who are clamoring for stripping away the safety regulations on the lake. Rent yourself a canoe and paddle down the River on the 4th of July. If you survive the trip, you have my respect as a boater and I welcome your input in this discussion. But until this lake is safe for everyone, we need to consider this and other restrictions.

Wow, the shear amount of misinformation in this post is astonishing. I guess the downside to giving the world the megaphone of the Internet is that people are free to present all of their uneducated, misinformed opinions as fact. First, Arizona Department of Game and Fish had nothing to do with this decision. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has owned and regulated Speed Alley since the wildlife refuge was created in the 1940s- more than 30 years before McCulloch built his bridge or imagined a town here. Second, there are other places to waterski on Lake Havasu. Visit the Chamber's website and you'll find a link to a waterskiing page and map. It does not even mention Speed Alley but instead directs people to Skier's Island and the three coves west of Site Six. Third, the only place CLOSED to powerboats (and canoes) on our River is the small island north of the Sandbar. Powerboats are allowed in every other backwater and fishermen use them regularly- they are just no wake areas for safety reasons and the environmental reasons which prompted Congress and President Truman to create this place. Lastly, you guys all need to stop crying and accept that public safety trumps your recreation. This river is HIGHLY regulated and it is about time Havasu started doing something to reduce the unacceptibly high numbers of fatalities here each year. This whole "party like you mean it" mindset is killing people and the drunken stupidity of summertime on Lake Havasu needs to go. Learn to recreate safely and responsibly or stay home!

Dept of Fish and Game, please consider all water uses, including water sports, when making decisions like this. This decision seems to have been overly influenced by a small minority of the public.

Kayakers do not contribute much monetary value to Lake Havasu compared to the boating and fishing groups! Kayakers are such a small group they should not dictate to the Dept of Fish and Game what areas should be restricted for their use.

B Warner were you actually assaulted or were your feelings just hurt? I’ve personally seen a downed skier die in the harbor while waiting for life flight to transport him after being run over by a larger boat on the main lake- but I've never heard of a kayaker dying at Havasu. Maybe because a downed skier (even with a ski flag up) is much less visible, less mobile, and at greater risk for an accident than someone above water paddling? I find it sad that you only care about the safety of your small group rather than the safety of everyone’s children. Hopefully you have a better attitude on the water than you do while sitting at your computer. See you on the lake; fortunately it seems as though except for a VERY small minority, everyone else gets along great.

As there are none at Lake Tahoe & Truckee River?

That's the point - it's a heavily crowded "backwaters of the Wildlife Refuge". And to repeat a post earlier: we don't know ONE paddler who requested exclusive use of this area. This petition is just not based on fact. Guess you feel it would be good to lift the No Wake Zone in Thompson Bay also? (that buoy line was moved out not that long ago for Safety Reasons) At 110 degrees SUP Boards are great; so is safely paddling the waterways trail without being threatened. It is a REFUGE. It is a BACKWATER. Again: Unfortunately rogue Skiers brought attention to the area with their illegal activity and the newer larger "Wake" boats.

The Lake is open. The Refuge is restricted to "wakes" - not closed to power boats.

We need no more no wake zones for the kayaks!

Exactly the attitude that the aggressive ski boaters took to little old ladies and children in paddlecraft - "run 'em outta here"!

Keep lake open for all with no restrictions for recreational vehicles in the waters.

no more 5mph zones for kayakers this is a boaters lake!

We all don't get our way just because we feel like it. Don't ruin it for everyone just because this will make it convenient for a few individuals. Kayaks are not feeding the havasu economy. Havasu is a boating town, kayakers are very much welcomed, but please don't close a heavily boat crowded area for a few kayakers. I don't mean to be selfish in saying this, but when it's 110 degrees out, you will be boating, not kayaking and not wanting to slow down for some stupid new rule. Thanks -Eric