Corps Set Zones On Lakes

[Zack Hoyt]

ROGERS — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is putting “teeth” into new restrictions at Beaver Lake and other corps impoundments.

The corps’ Little Rock District will begin enforcing a commercial zone policy around marinas at district lakes as soon as warning signs can be put in place, according to a news release. Other lakesa◊ected include Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Norfork, Clear Water, Greers Ferry, Dardanelle and Millwood.

Fishing, swimming, diving, jumping or wading is not allowed within 50 feet of a marina. Signs are to be installed announcing the prohibition. Rangers will be able to write citations and violators will be required to pay fi nes, said Alan Bland, a corps ranger with the Beaver Lake District.

Signs announcing the prohibition have been in place in some locations for years, but there was no way to enforce the restriction, Bland said.

Marina owners or managers could enforce the rule, but that wasn’t always e◊ective, he said.

Joe Craig, who deals with real estate and leases for the corps, said Tuesday marina owners and operators have until March 1 to get the signs in place.

“Most of the marinas in the district have had ‘No Fishing’ signs up for years but not all marinas. When it comes time for a marina owner to renew a lease, it will be a requirement to have the signs in place, or we won’t renew the lease,” Craig said.

Shirley Davis, manager of Prairie Creek Marina east of Rogers, said she supports the new enforcement e◊ort.

“We’ve had the signs up here for years about fishing and swimming near the marina, and I have always enforced it,” Davis said.

People fishing and swimming around the marina create a liability issue, Davis said.

“We don’t want anybody hurt,” she said.

Kevin Callaghan, owner of Horseshoe Bend Marina has ‘No Fishing’ signs posted but doesn’t have the other regulations posted.

“We’ll get it done by the March 1 deadline. Up until now it was voluntary, but now it’s mandatory. It’s agood rule, and we strongly support it,” Callaghan said.

Safety is just one reason the corps implemented the commercial zone enforcement measures. There are underwater structures that could be dangerous to swimmers or divers, but there are other reasons as well.

“We haven’t had the number of problems on Beaver the other lakes have had, but we’ve had some,” Bland said.

When casting, fi shermen hoping to land a bass lurking near the docks can hang fishing lures on electric lines, boats, traps, phone lines and other personal property of boat owners The damage can cause some heated situations between marina operators and fishermen, Bland said.

Some marina operators on Beaver Lake said they thought the new restrictions and enforcement would still be voluntary.

“They aren’t,” Bland said “I guess I’m going to have to revisit some folks around the lake; somewhere they got the wrong impression We will enforce the policy today if the signs are up.”

[Guest]

Elitist boat owners don't want fisherman chunking lures at their precious yachts.

It has nothing to do with safety.

Its the corp catering to people who have money, thus power over the rest of us taxpayers.

[taxidermist]

I never liked fishing around public or private docks.... Fish the lake not the docks. Then when you catch fish it proves you can catch fish!.

[Wayne SW/MO]

What will constitute a Marina? Will it be the gas dock and the always present store, or will it be all docks in the complex?

[Quillback]

I'm against it on principle, it's a public lake and the marinas have put their docks on public water. And if it's no fishing, it should be no fishing period on the docks, including the dock owner and friends.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I can see a hazard in the gas dock area where there is a lot of traffic. If it also involves the leased docks, then I have a real problem with that. The next question is, if all docks are included, are they going to ticket dock lessor's who fish off the dock or from their moored boats?

[Quillback]

Yeah I agree, anything truly hazardous like gasoline shoul dnot have fishing allowed within a reasonable distance.