Memorial Day Weekend: Law Enforcement

[Mark]

Expect to see lots of law enforcement this weekend on the river with the new crackdown on "Mardi Gras type atmosphere". Last year, we camped on the river and saw more than we had ever seen on the Eleven Point before, so expect more of a presence this year. While we are well behaved, we had several nervous moments when we were visited by Forest Service, game warden, and sheriff's department, because we did have some glass bottles with us. They were definitely looking around camp to see if they could spot anything. We knew the regulations, but had never worried about it, we were told that if you don't give a reason for them to bother you they won't, and we haul all of our trash out. We met a group of 8 guys on a bachelor party from Memphis who were busted for glass (and other things) and accumulated $1,600 in fines, including $200 for a little bottle of tabasco sauce. We learned our lesson, we'll pour our tequila and vodka in plastic milk jugs now on.

[Gavin]

My Wife and I floated Greer to Whitten with another couple last Memorial Day and there was a ton of enforcement out on the water. They were writing lots of tickets just below the Greer Access, but they just said hellow to us. Glad to see them out, but I wish they werent running up and down so much. All the jet traffic put the brakes on the fishing. Cheers.

[snap]

Same camp site as Mark...what was really bad was when a small group of boys were towing a canoe upstream past our site after dark with a young lady in it who had dehydrated. An hour or so later, a boat identifying themselves as the sheriff's department passed us apparently going to their campsite to check things out. Kind of broke up the peacefulness we were enjoying ...and of all the times there....had never seen anything like it. One does not realize what all containers are made of glass when one spends a week at one site. Some I had and did not even think about were my cigar holders and an empty jar of power eggs that I keep my special flys in. Have since put the 'gars in zip lock bags and flys the same.

[BrianK]

So how bad was the mayhem and chaos last wknd???

I suspect that the scattered rain off & on might have kept some of the crazies off the water....maybe not.

Were the authorities out in force after all???

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would love to see them saturate the rivers, at random, all summer so that the word gets out.

I think they should do it in many areas. Then maybe the word will get out and force people to do whats right.

[hank franklin]

Okay, so I tried to think of anything at all I might carry that is glass. Two things: my water thermometer and the little percolator thing at the top of my coffee pot.

Are they going to write me for that?

I've been putting wine in plastic bottles since before the law came out. Learned my lesson once when a bottle broke somehow while stowed in my gear. Terrible mess.

Reminds me of a Barbara Mandrell song: I was plastic wine bottle stowin, when plastic wine bottle stowin wasn't cool.

[gonefishin]

Am I missing something in these posts? Is it illegal to have glass on the rivers? As in its OK to discard plastic products in the rivers but not glass products?

[bojack]

plastic can't cut you as bad as glass. we were on the current last year and this group of guys floated by and as they finished a beer (in a glass bottle) they pitched it to shore into the weeds.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Discharge of Trash

It is illegal to dump refuse, garbage, or plastics into federally controlled and state waters.

You must store trash in a container while on board and place it in a proper receptacle after returning to shore.

If boating on federally controlled waters, you must display a 4 x 9-inch placard (sign) on any vessel 26 feet or longer. It must notify passengers and crew about discharge restrictions.

Missouri Law Regarding Glass Containers and Trash

The following restrictions apply to any vessel that is easily susceptible to swamping, tipping, or rolling (such as a canoe, kayak, or inner tube) and is carrying foodstuffs or beverages while operating on any of Missouri's navigable waterways. Navigable waterways means any navigable river, lake, or other body of water.

No one may have or use glass containers within a vessel (prescribed drugs are excepted).

All persons using a cooler, icebox, or containers other than glass for foodstuffs and beverages must:

Ensure that the container is sealed to prevent the contents from spilling into the water.

Affix to the vessel a container or bag, capable of being securely closed, to contain their trash.

Transport all of their trash to a place where the materials may be disposed of safely and lawfully.

Safely secure any glass containers to prevent breaking or falling overboard.

[Gavin]

Glass containers on the river are definitely illegal in MO..Bought the only pro-environmental legislation that Sarah Steelman ever put her name on...

Littering just aint right.

Cheers.