Most Common Fishing and Boating Violations
June 23, 2008
CHEYENNE-Warmer summer months triggers an increase in fishing and boating activity in Wyoming, and with that increase in summer activities also come an increase in fishing and boating violations.
According to the Game and Fish, the vast majority of boaters and anglers are obeying Wyoming laws, but there are a number of violations that are increasingly common from year to year. Some of the violations are undoubtedly due to ignorance of the laws, but many are simply due to participants not putting forth the effort to comply with the rules and regulations.
Every year the top fishing violation is failure to buy a license. Wyoming licenses expire with the calendar year and are required of persons 14 years of age and older. Anglers who purchase annual licenses also need a conservation stamp. No stamp is required for holders of daily licenses.
Overlimit of fish is another common violation. Anglers need to pay close attention to the limit for the water where they will be fishing. Creel limits for trout on a number of waters were changed from the 6 fish limit of previous years and anglers are advised to consult the regulations for the water where they are planning to fish.
Along the same line of creel limits are limitations restricting the size of fish that can be kept. For trout, the general creel limit allows six fish, of which only one can exceed 20 inches, but that is not true for all waters.
If the water has a differing creel and size restriction it will be detailed in the exceptions sections in the fishing regulations for each drainage area. Trout are not the only species with size restrictions. There are also size restrictions on tiger musky and northern pike and some waters have restrictions on bass. Anglers should be aware that when length limits apply, the whole body of the fish excluding gills and entrails shall remain intact while in transit or in the field. If length limits do not apply a piece of skin large enough to allow species identification (at least one inch square) shall remain on the filet.
Another common violation is false oath when nonresidents purchase resident licenses without satisfying the state residency requirement. Wyoming law requires persons to be domiciled in Wyoming for one year without claiming residency elsewhere for that period before qualifying for resident hunting or fishing licenses. Questions on residency can be directed to any Game and Fish office or department enforcement personnel.
Similar to not buying a fishing license, one of the more common boating violations is failure to register boats. Wyoming law requires that all craft that are propelled with motors, including electric motors, must be registered. Canoes, rowboats, rafts, float tubes etc. without motors need not be registered. But if a motor is attached, then registration is in order.
With summer holidays coming up in the next few weeks, boaters need to take special care to avoid the boating under the influence (BUI) violation. Not drinking and driving not only applies to our highways but to waters as well. Game and Fish enforcement officer Jon Stephens says BUI violations are most common around the popular July 4th weekend. “Fines for BUI are substantial and can result in possible jail time and loss of boating privileges,” Stephens said. “But more significantly, boaters who are drinking not only jeopardize their own personal safety but also the safety of others.”
Not having proper safety equipment aboard is another violation. This includes an approved life jacket for every member on board and appropriate safety equipment. A new requirement this year requires the wearing of an approved life jacket (personal flotation device) for youth 12 years old or under.
Stephens emphasizes that the various fishing and boating regulations are not there to impact enjoyment of the out of doors, but are in place to protect and enhance the resource for the enjoyment of anglers and the safety of all who use Wyoming’s waters. Boating and fishing regulations are covered in detail in the fishing and watercraft regulations pamphlets.
(contact: Al Langston (307) 777-4540)
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DNR, Corps monitoring high hazard dams
June 13, 2008
The Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have paired up this week to check privately owned high hazard dams in 20 flood-affected counties of southern Indiana.
Significant progress has been made in evaluating the dams and determining if any emergency steps need to be taken. A dozen two-person teams have been at work in Bartholomew, Brown, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Greene, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Ripley, Sullivan, Vigo and Wayne counties.
The following general information is designed to answer most questions about dams and the regulation process in Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Exactly what is a dam?
A dam is a man-made barrier constructed for the purpose of storing or diverting water. It usually is built across a stream or river and usually consists of earthen materials or concrete. Many of the existing dams in Indiana are relatively old (30 years or more), making safety inspections and regular maintenance extremely important practices.
Who is responsible for keeping a dam safe?
The Indiana General Assembly has established dam safety laws to protect the citizens of the state. Generally, the laws are intended to ensure the dam owner maintains his/her dam in a safe manner that minimizes potential safety risks downstream to lives and property. Since dam owners can be held accountable for any damage that results from the failure of their dams, they should do whatever is necessary to avoid injuring persons or property.
Who makes sure dam owners are doing what’s required?
The Department of Natural Resources has the statutory authority to regulate dams in Indiana. The DNR oversees the inspections of about 1,100 dams statewide.
Are all dams the same?
No. The DNR regulates dams that meet one of three criteria - the drainage area above the dam is greater than 1 square mile; the dam embankment is greater than 20 feet high; or the dam impounds more than 100-acre feet of water.
These dams fall into three “hazard” categories - low, significant, and high. “Hazard” refers to the level of damage downstream if a dam fails. There are about 600 low hazard dams in Indiana, about 250 in the significant category, and about 250 in the high category.
What’s the difference between “high” and “low” hazard?
A high hazard structure is one in which its failure may cause the loss of life and serious damage to homes, industrial and commercial buildings, public utilities, major highways, or railroads.
Failure of a significant hazard structure may damage isolated homes and highways, or cause temporary interruption of public utility services.
Failure of a low hazard structure may result in damage to farm buildings, agricultural land, or local roads.
How often are dams inspected?
State law requires a DNR inspection of low hazard dams once every five years, and once every three years for significant hazard dams. When it comes to high hazard dams, state law requires the owner of the dam to have an inspection by a licensed professional once every two years.
What happens in a dam inspection?
Actually, it’s rather complex. A responsible dam safety program should include four types of inspections - formal technical inspections, maintenance inspections, informal inspections, and special inspections. A formal technical inspection is the most comprehensive and usually includes review and analysis of available data and plans, a field examination, and a final report. The field exam is performed by a team of one or more professional engineers, geologists or qualified technicians, accompanied by the dam owner or his/her representative. Depending on the type of dam, a field exam can take 2 to 3 days for a team of experts to complete and may cost the owner $2,500 to $4,000.
Does a dam inspection guarantee the dam is safe?
Absolutely not. An inspection is only a snapshot of the dam’s relative safety status at that time while providing the owner with information on necessary repairs. Year-round vigilance by the owner using informal inspections coupled with special inspections and proper maintenance practices are far better tools for ensuring the long-term integrity of a dam.
What about levees? Are they handled the same as dams?
It depends on the type of levee. Some levees are designed and built for flood control. Others are agricultural structures not meant for the same sort of flood control but instead designed to divert water from crop fields, or to prevent topsoil erosion in the event of high water. Flood control levees are inspected. Agricultural levees are not.
So, with the recent floods, what’s the status of dams in impacted areas?
Personnel from two DNR divisions - Water and Reclamation - have teamed up with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to form two-person teams that are performing damage assessment of approximately 100 high hazard dams in 21 southern Indiana counties. It is important to note these are not dam inspections in the truest sense, but rather spot checks to evaluate visible damage and determine if there is any immediate danger.
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Ask the Wyoming Game and Fish
May 6, 2008
Q. I like to fish streams with worms and salmon eggs, but it seems most are restricted to artificial lures and flies. Why is that?
A. First off, there are more streams where bait is legal, than otherwise. If bait is not legal on a particular water, that water will be listed in the fishing regulations booklet in the Regulations Exception sections for each drainage area. If the stream you want to fish is not listed as requiring artificial lures and flies, you may use your worms and eggs. Artificials are required on some waters for fisheries management purposes, usually to protect certain species or sizes of fish while still allowing fishing opportunity. Studies have shown that fish caught using bait have a much higher mortality than fish caught using artificials, hence the regulation.
-WGFD-
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