Cascading atop Florida's fresh waterways can be boatloads of fun for watercraft enthusiasts. Boating along the vast network of rivers and lakes throughout the Sunshine State can be a great way to enjoy a diversity of freshwater habitats in a short amount of time. Millions of residents and tourists experience this thrill every week. They have more than 850,000 recreational boats in Florida to choose from.

BOATING AND INVASIVE PLANTS
Were it not for aquatic plant management, there would not be a lot of boating going on in Florida. (Go to this page of our web site to see aquatic plant infestations that stop boats in their wakes.)

1898 on the St. Johns River: water hyacinths bring paddle wheeler to a standstill

The aquatic plants that cause the most trouble for boaters are the submersed plant hydrilla, and the floating plants water hyacinth, and water lettuce. All three are non-native invasive plants. Some number of other plants occasionally interfere with boating in Florida.

To control aquatic plants in Florida's inland navigable waters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spends $2.5 million dollars annually. (The Corps is mandated by the U.S. Congress to build and maintain inland navigation waters in Florida and throughout the U.S.) Federal efforts are augmented by the state, which spends $6.3 million in motor vehicle (cars and boats) fuel tax revenue for the same purpose. (The total bill for aquatic plant management in Florida's public waters is more than $70 million per year.)

Today, hydrilla is the boater's scourge

In some instances, boaters can unknowingly transport invasive species that hitch a ride on their watercraft and infest natural habitats. Boat propellers, trailers, and equipment easily carry non-native aquatic plants such as hydrilla and water lettuce. Once introduced, invasive plants take over the habitat and are extremely difficult to eradicate. Invasive species can out-compete native species and block light needed by submerged native plants. Invasive aquatic plants also contribute to the degradation of water quality needed by the fish and wildlife enjoyed by most boaters.

Therefore, it is always important to inspect equipment and rid watercraft of vegetative passengers both before and after boating in Florida's waters.

A few easy steps:

Avoid chopping vegetation with outboard motor propellers.

Check bilges and live wells at ramps and carefully rinse and dispose of water into an upland area.

Remove plant fragments from trailers, props, bait wells, fishing tackle, and dive gear, and dispose of in an upland area.

Report new infestations of non-native plant species to Bureau of Invasive Plant Management (850) 488-5631

A few minutes taken to prevent the spread of invasive plants can save millions of taxpayer dollars.

A variety of boating safety courses are available throughout the Sunshine State. To find a class nearest to you, or to take an online course, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's webpage on boating education.

Channel marking:
Channels are marked by buoys or markers, which indicate the sides of the channels. Boaters can tell which side of the channel a marker is on by its color, shape, and number.

Going upstream on a river, the red channel markers are on the right edge of the channel and are even-numbered;
and the black or green channel markers are on the left edge and are odd-numbered. Going downstream on a river or out to sea, the opposite is true.

Some markers are lighted at night. Since all lighted markers have the same general shape, be sure to identify their color or tell if their number is odd or even.

Going upstream, red markers on right; green markers on left.

Boat lighting:
Night boating requires electric running lights for safe navigation.
On boats, red lights indicate the left (port) side of a boat.
Green lights indicate the right (starboard) side of a boat.

Rights-of-way rules:

Any action to avoid collision must be made early and be readily apparent to the other vessel.

When two boaters meet, both should steer to the right (starboard).

When vessels are crossing, the boat on the right (starboard) has the right-of-way, similar to a 4-way stop on the road.

When passing another vessel, the vessel being passed has the right-of-way.

When boating in a narrow channel, keep to the right (starboard).

Sailing vessels under sail always have the right-of-way.

If you find yourself in danger, five short blasts of the horn signals nearby boaters to help you.

Rules, regulations and restrictions are a necessary part of safe and responsible boating. Although state regulations may seem like an inconvenience to the eager boater, a wide variety of benefits are provided by regulatory agencies:

Boat ramps:
Since the 1950s, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has constructed and maintained more than 200 public boat ramps (approximately 25% of the freshwater ramps in Florida) throughout the state. Use of public boat ramps is free of charge to boaters.

Fish and Wildlife Protection:
Fish and Wildlife officers enforce regulations that protect animal populations and ensure their survival for the enjoyment of future boaters.

The Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program seeks to improve sport fishing and boating opportunities for water enthusiasts. Federal funds collected from taxes on fishing tackle and motor fuels, and import duties on tackle and yachts are returned to State Agencies for research, management and development activities that deal with sport fish. For every $4.00 the state spends, these funds repay $3.00.

The 2004 Gas Tax Bill promotes fish and wildlife preservation channels. $2.5 million in funds from state fuel taxes will create 10 new law enforcement jobs in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and support recreational boating-related projects (including research, safety and education programs and activities), state waterway markers, construction, and maintenance of publicly owned boat ramps, piers, docks, manatee avoidance technology and economic development grants to promote boating.

State fishing license funds are matched with the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Act to help fund the management of more than 200 boat ramps, 56 fish attractors on 32 water bodies, and 79 fish management lakes which include 19 urban ponds throughout the state.

State and federal funding, registration and regulation requirements, navigation maintenance, law enforcement, boating safety and aquatic plant management are just a few of the components that enable Florida's boaters to spend carefree days on Florida's fresh waterways. Public cooperation with public agencies ensures that Florida's fresh waterways remain a stress-free sanctuary for generations of future boaters.