Boat Law

[jbetzelb]

Iowa Boat Law: I feel they are concerned about fishing rigs and outboard motors but the way I read this it appears by law you should have to pull your plug and drain your IO after each use. I have a runabout and haven?t taken the plug out in years. How does it read to you all?

Overland transport of boats is one of the most common ways aquatic invasive species are spread,? said Bogenschutz. ?By taking some simple precautions ? clean, drain, dry ? boaters and anglers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers.?
? CLEAN any plants, animals, or mud from boat and equipment before leaving a water body.
? DRAIN water from all equipment (motor, live well, bilge, transom well, bait bucket) before leaving a water body.
? DRY anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, boots, clothing, dogs). Before transporting to another water body either:
Spray your boat and trailer with hot, high-pressure water; or
Dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days.
? Never release plants, fish, or animals into a water body unless they came out of that water body and empty unwanted bait in the trash.

Law Changes Coming July 1
It is currently illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species in Iowa. Starting July 1, it will also be illegal to transport any aquatic plants on water-related equipment. Boaters must also drain all water from boats and equipment before leaving a water body and must keep drain plugs removed or opened during transport beginning July 1. It is illegal to introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait, into public waters.

 

[wgl333]

Re: Boat Law

If you trailer your boat, why wouldn't you pull the plug every time you pull your boat out of the water? It is just good PM for your boat. And I think they are targeting any type of watercraft that can transfer these species from body of water to body of water.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Boat Law

Iowa Boat Law: I feel they are concerned about fishing rigs and outboard motors but the way I read this it appears by law you should have to pull your plug and drain your IO after each use. I have a runabout and haven’t taken the plug out in years. How does it read to you all?

Overland transport of boats is one of the most common ways aquatic invasive species are spread,” said Bogenschutz. “By taking some simple precautions – clean, drain, dry – boaters and anglers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers.”
• CLEAN any plants, animals, or mud from boat and equipment before leaving a water body.
• DRAIN water from all equipment (motor, live well, bilge, transom well, bait bucket) before leaving a water body.
• DRY anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, boots, clothing, dogs). Before transporting to another water body either:
Spray your boat and trailer with hot, high-pressure water; or
Dry your boat and equipment for at least 5 days.
• Never release plants, fish, or animals into a water body unless they came out of that water body and empty unwanted bait in the trash.

Law Changes Coming July 1
It is currently illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species in Iowa. Starting July 1, it will also be illegal to transport any aquatic plants on water-related equipment. Boaters must also drain all water from boats and equipment before leaving a water body and must keep drain plugs removed or opened during transport beginning July 1. It is illegal to introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait, into public waters.

Ayuh,.... Leavin' the garboard plug in a trailered boat, is Askin' for Problems....

The Plug, should always be out, when outa the water, 'n stored Bow High...

 

[jbetzelb]

Re: Boat Law

Let me clairify on the plug. My boat never has water sitting in it. When not in use it is uncoverd and in my garage. When on the road it has a custom travel cover that fits like a glove and doesnt leak a drop. When on the water it gets wet mainly from people tracking water in it. The pump will drain any carried on water to about nothing. When it stays on the water overnight it has a water cover that also fits great. When I pull the boat out of the water I always wipe down the exterior and the trailer and then I use the towels to draw any remaining water out of the bilage area. The plug will come out but it is a special wrench and about 10 minute effort. Do you guys read that law to suggest IO owners should drain their engine? I always check for invasive species but where I live most of the time you trailer to the lake and you rarely drop the boat in more than once a week if that often. Withing 50 miles of my house there are two mud holes for lakes and the Missouri river.

 

[wgl333]

Re: Boat Law

Unless they are providing water and muffs...that would be more than a little difficult.

 

[BobGinCO]

Re: Boat Law

Fighting the spread of ANS is not something to be taken lightly. In Colorado they're wicked strict on it, and we have just learned to go with the plan. Yes, every time we pull out, there is a representative of the DOW or another agency, that is going to inspect everything. They WILL check the livewell EVERY TIME. They WILL check the anchor and line EVERY TIME. If their lake is ANS positive, they WILL provide you with a high-temp pressure wash EVERY TIME. They seal your boat to your trailer, and provide an inspection certificate, and the next time you put in, that seal better be intact, and you better have the certificate, or you're going to go through decontamination before you can put in. It's just part of boating life, and we all do it.

Fortunately, pontoons don't have a bilge, or drain plugs!

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Boat Law

I understand the reasoning behind this and also support it. Minnesota has also cracked down and I wish Wis. would do more!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Boat Law

since it clearly states that water must be drained from the motor I don't see where the question comes in... YES you have to drain it

 

[airshot]

Re: Boat Law

Yep it sure is a pain, but have seen the problem first hand here in the great lakes. All the commercial ships have brought in all these invasive species to the lakes and are now showing up big time in the smaller inland lakes. The inland lake problem is from boaters not cleaning there drains/bilges. Unfortunately our gov't doesn't do anything to the big ships to stop it from starting except give them lip service. You will be sorry when it starts, I know I am...............

Airshot

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Boat Law

That has been the law in Wisconsin and all the Great Lake states for years as airshot pointed out. its also good practice like Bond-o pointed out.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Boat Law

You know my wikid awful smaaart neighbor from Maine made a pretty good observation about this.

His take; as long as there is migratory birds, there will be invasive species going from one drink to the next.
His evidence; He dug a spring fed pond in his yard, and stocked it with trout. Never had a boat or anything like that in it. Well, the birds usta like to fly in, and have trout for lunch. Wasn't too long after that he started getting all sorts of weeds growing in it. Now his pond is choked with weeds, and the trout are all gone.

Moral of the story; It's a good idea to drain and clean your boats/equipment when you're puddle jumping to help slow the spread by us, but unfortunately the Genie is outa the bottle when it comes to the spread of invasive species, and its gunna be awful hard to stop and reverse it...

 

[Dam2009]

Re: Boat Law

This has been the law in Canada for as long as I remember. Not only does it protect the environment, it keeps my boat nice and clean

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Boat Law

In this neck of the woods, you don't want to be seen by the Fish Commission draining your bilge near a body of water

 

[KD4UPL]

Re: Boat Law

I don't see how I/Os would be excluded. I also can't imagine never pulling your drain plug. Mine comes out after every trip to the lake and stays out until I put the boat in again. There's always water running out when I pull it. Wet people getting in the boat track in a lot of water. My bilge pump won't pump out every little bit of water.
Even with rain, if somehow my cover came loose or got a hole in it or something I sure would want the boat to drain.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Boat Law

The plug will come out but it is a special wrench and about 10 minute effort.

Exaggerating a little bit there? I have yet to see a boat that takes 10 minutes to remove the plug, and by special wrench, you mean a crescent wrench? (or maybe one of those floating plastic ones made for bilge plugs, sold by iboats and others...)

Seriously though, there are MANY reasons that your plug should be removed if the boat isn't in the water. Doesn't matter if you think your boat will never get wet (it will), and that your bilge pumps will remove every drop of water (they won't).

I have no sympathy with those that think they are above having to take some precautions to protect the lakes. Its simply laziness, or people think the law doesn't apply to them. Those safety measures are in place for the greater good of everyone, if you don't like them, don't boat.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Boat Law

Moral of the story; It's a good idea to drain and clean your boats/equipment when you're puddle jumping to help slow the spread by us, but unfortunately the Genie is outa the bottle when it comes to the spread of invasive species, and its gunna be awful hard to stop and reverse it...

Not all invasive species can be spread by birds. In particular, mussels , carp, and snakefish aren't very likely to move on a bird!

 

[Grandad]

Re: Boat Law

I don't see how I/Os would be excluded. I also can't imagine never pulling your drain plug. Mine comes out after every trip to the lake and stays out until I put the boat in again. There's always water running out when I pull it. Wet people getting in the boat track in a lot of water. My bilge pump won't pump out every little bit of water.
Even with rain, if somehow my cover came loose or got a hole in it or something I sure would want the boat to drain.

These are my thoughts too. I trailer boat my I/O. Is there some way to comply on an I/O without doing the equivalent of winterizing the water jacket?
- Grandad

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Boat Law

Not all invasive species can be spread by birds. In particular, mussels , carp, and snakefish aren't very likely to move on a bird!

The birds aren't moving the fish themselves,they are moving the eggs that stick to their feet.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Boat Law

Not all invasive species can be spread by birds. In particular, mussels , carp, and snakefish aren't very likely to move on a bird!

I was speaking more to the point of Milfoil and other nasty invasive weeds.

The lake our family cottage is on has been having a problem with Milfoil taking over the calm shallow parts for the past 15 years or so.

The sad thing is up until some time in the late 80's, the water was crystal clear. Many of my relatives and neighbors have commented how you would be able to go out in front of our area, and see the boulders under some 50' of water. Now your lucky to see anything beyond 15-20'.

Also doesn't help when everybody along the lake wants a nice green lawn (fertilizer run-off), or they don't take care of their 50 year old septic.

 

[dls322]

Re: Boat Law

Pulling the plug each time is a no-brainer...i used to get a feeling of satisfaction putting my old bowriders on the trailer, pulling the plug and watching the water drain out, especially if it has been subjected to many rain storms while docked. It makes the boat that much lighter thus faster.
Takes under a minute to remove / replace.... bad boating practice to not do it for many reasons