Coasties and Inland Waterways

[QC]

OK, if this gets political I'll have to lock my own thread . . . or maybe I'll just delete offending posts, I don't know, but please leave the obvious political connections out.

OK, so the Day Signals and Lines of Demarcation and COLREGS thing got me to thinking . . . I boat on Lakes Havasu, Mead, Mohave, Powell and a place called Parker Strip. These places have two things in common and pretty much a third:

1) They are on the Colorado River which does not meet the sea in the US

2) There are big flippin' dams between all of these and further down river

3) With the possible exception of the Parker Strip they are all patrolled by the Coast Guard. I can't remember seeing them on Parker and it's a teeny tiny dam (Moovalya) in comparison to the others . . .

Why?

I have always assumed that it is due to protection of the Dams since 9/11, but I can't remember if the Coasties were there before 9/11 and I can't easily find anything that clearly states why they are there. I don't want anything about Big Brother, Taxation, Government creep, Creepy Governments etc. I just want to better understand where does the authority and justification come from?

Why do I care? I am a know-it-all and I'm just flippin' curious . . .

 

[Philster]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

The CG is now part of the Department of Homeland Security.

I don't know if that helps anything other than my post count.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

I just want to better understand where does the authority and justification come from?

Ayuh,... I believe it has to do with Federal Navigable waters....

Being on a Coast is irrevelant...

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

This is just a guess, but aren't those dams and the reservoirs technically on Federal land that's owned by the Bureau of Reclamation or the Bureau of Land Management? I would think that would explain the USCG's involvement in enforcement activities, because it's federal land (or more correctly, federal water) there has to be some kind of federal law enforcement presence.

Grouse

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

I'll go with Bond-o on this one.

Lake of the Ozarks (located in central Missouri) is considered to be a navigable waterway. I haven't been able to find the Federal Regulation again, but congress deemed 3 or 4 rivers to be navigable, dams notwithstanding.

Imagine the surprise by boaters being stopped by the Coasties and them applying federal boating regulations versus the state regulations. Granted, they mainly show up on major holiday weekends.

And we have 2 coast guard auxiliary units here.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

It all started when Sen. Byrd got the Coast Guard headquarters located in West Virginia

 

[Stachi]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

OK, if this gets political I'll have to lock my own thread . . . or maybe I'll just delete offending posts, I don't know, but please leave the obvious political connections out.

OK, so the Day Signals and Lines of Demarcation and COLREGS thing got me to thinking . . . I boat on Lakes Havasu, Mead, Mohave, Powell and a place called Parker Strip. These places have two things in common and pretty much a third:

1) They are on the Colorado River which does not meet the sea in the US

2) There are big flippin' dams between all of these and further down river

3) With the possible exception of the Parker Strip they are all patrolled by the Coast Guard. I can't remember seeing them on Parker and it's a teeny tiny dam (Moovalya) in comparison to the others . . .

Why?

I have always assumed that it is due to protection of the Dams since 9/11, but I can't remember if the Coasties were there before 9/11 and I can't easily find anything that clearly states why they are there. I don't want anything about Big Brother, Taxation, Government creep, Creepy Governments etc. I just want to better understand where does the authority and justification come from?

Why do I care? I am a know-it-all and I'm just flippin' curious . . .

I'm flippin curious too !! SHEEEESH ! ....lol

 

[QC]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

FWIW, and this also has the potential to get people fired up, but I counted 7 (someone said 8, but I can't get there) law enforcement agencies on the lake this weekend.

Arizona Game and Fish
California Fish and Game
Mohave County (AZ) Sheriff
La Paz County (AZ) Sheriff
San Bernardino County (CA) Sheriff
Lake Havasu City Police
US Coast Guard

 

[Stachi]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

FWIW, and this also has the potential to get people fired up, but I counted 7 (someone said 8, but I can't get there) law enforcement agencies on the lake this weekend.

Arizona Game and Fish
California Fish and Game
Mohave County (AZ) Sheriff
La Paz County (AZ) Sheriff
San Bernardino County (CA) Sheriff
Lake Havasu City Police
US Coast Guard

does North Korea have a naval base on that lake ???... lol

 

[CatTwentyTwo]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

I'm going with the Grouse, the Coast Guard has had a station at Lake Tahoe for as long as I can remember because it is considered federal waters.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

Now that would be a great assignment!

 

[JoLin]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

It's all just symptomatic of Big Brotherism, Taxation, Government Creep, and the Creepy Government...

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

Any body of water that borders two or more states is Interstate Navigable water and falls under federal jurisdiction. Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Colorado River, Lake Tahoe, and on and on...

 

[Ned L]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

I would agree with Bond-O on this. Any federally navigatable water & they have the right to be there. It doesn't bother me in the least to see them around, I have the highest respect for them. It's got to be tough to live by their moto at times "you have to go out. but you don't have to come back".

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

Oh, it pains me to admit this, but, I think BonDo is right!!!!

To the best of my knowledge, Lake Smith Mountain is the only inland body of water patrolled by the USCG in Virginia. LSM is totally within Virginia, contained by three counties and a federally funded dam.

 

[blifsey]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

I have boated 2 "border" lakes here in GA - West Point Lake on the Chattahoochee River in AL/GA and Clarks Hill Lake (aka Lake Strom Thurmond) on the Savannah River in GA/SC - and have never seen USCG patrolling. The do have the volunteer/axillary group and offer safety courses. They are patrolled by state DNR rangers from each of the bordering states. I would not consider either river "navigable" by large boats/ships/barges though. Also, both are federal lakes belonging to Army Corp of Engineers. They do have federal COE rangers that patrol the camp grounds and day-use parks by truck.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

I boat on lakes that are on dams run by the federal government, as well as lakes/rivers that are in multiple states and reservations. No coasties anywhere to be seen! Local law enforcement (county sheriffs, state game and fish) have no problems enforcing laws on those bodies of water.

 

[QC]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

Well I am going to go with Bondo's call too, especially since Drowned Rat has backed him up and he is/was a Coastie . . .

 

[blifsey]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg532/pwcs.asp

 

[soaringhiggy]

Re: Coasties and Inland Waterways

Coasties have been doing inland waters forever. Any where there are aids to nav they are there.

Great Lakes they are there.

Not enough to do all lakes, but the have the right and can is appropriate.

They do a hard duties, Semper paratus