Memorial Day Weekend: Law Enforcement

[Thom]

I think the motto "leave nothing but your footprints" is excellent and what we must encourage in order to insure our children and grandchildren what our bueatiful country has left for us to enjoy.

I do make one exception. "I try to leave some terrified fish that I have caught and released back into the stream" Fish fear me? I wish.

The only fish that I usually inadvertantly kill are those who die laughing at my fishing methods and hand tied flies.

[gonefishin]

That is a strange law. I reckon if something say toxic to fish were spilled in the water it would not harm the fish as long as it was spilled from a plastic bottle; if the same product were to be spilled from a glass bottle it would kill all the fish in the river

Looks to me like another law designed to keep the oil companies in business.

Seems about right that law enforcement would be harassing people who might have a glass container on the streams rather than go after the real hoodlums.

Oh, well what do I know.

[hank franklin]

Thanks for the post Wayne. I didn't realize you needed to have a trash bag "affixed to the vessel." I always have a stream team bag, but not usually "affixed."

I guess my glass water thermometer is okay.

[Rapalafella]

Yep, thanks for info, as stepping on a drunk's broken bottle is not what a wild National Scenic River experience should be in my opinion...

We did not know about the glass restriction until this forum, thanks again as we will be on the Eleven Point in July...

[gonefishin]

Stepping on a broken bottle would be no fun for sure. But then, stepping on the jagged edge of an aluminum can is no picnic either.

It just seems to me that a law against a specific container material is silly. Law enforcement has enough on their hands dealing with all the rowdies out there and should not be unnecessarily burdened with having to check people to see if they have a glass bait container or glass cigar tube.

Seems to me that it would be more productive to enforce the no littering laws and if people would help clean up a little along the way the problem could be easily solved.

Then law enforcement could get on to dealing with lesser crimes like illegal drug use, public drunkenness, public sex acts, using the river for a privy ect ect.

[steve l]

Gonefishin, I disagree. I think it is a good law, especially with the gravel substate on the Ozark rivers. Too many people will (and still do) chuck their bottles on the gravel, and at that point there's not much that can be done.

It does make it a bit tough to bring a bottle of wine or for those of us who prefer craft beers (come on Oskar Blues).

But that's a small price to pay to keep from slicing my (or my kids)foot open.

[Thom]

If you haven't participated in one of the efforts to clean streams you don't realize the impact that senseless acts of "hooray for me and you know what for you people" are. Tons of debree including glass bottles is removed from streams each time we go out.

I know that it does infringe on some of the responsible folks convience but as usual unless laws are not written and enforced we will all look back later and see what the consequences are. One of the weaknesses of a free society is that jerks use their freedoms to abuse the rights of others, thus laws to regulate their behavior are needed. I don't like it but what else can you do. The old days of vigilante behind the barn justice are gone

In OFallon MO where I live one of the streams has been so filled with debree that the city will have to contract out a six figure cleanup to bring it back.

I fished this stream when I first came here and help clean it up. The fishing is not worth the effort now due to the siltation of erosion from the dams made by junk in the stream flooding the banks. It is near a park and the erosion from the junk fill in the stream is taking one end of the park. There are even 50 gallon drums in the stream as well of hundred of bottles cans and plastic bottles and bags.

I think we need to support the effort to clean our streams and hope that it will solve the problem that no one can deny exists.

[snap]

It is a wonderful law!!! Glass breaks...aluminum does not!!! I would think that being between Turner and Whitten with a cut foot would be a miserable experience!!! As far as littering, I think that is still against the law and subject to fines. If you would like to drink wine on the river, like me, it can bought in those boxes/bags.

[gonefishin]

I dont canoe much anymore but I do have to deal with the trash left by others. Most of the trash I see piled up is plastic products. There are actually very few glass jars anymore. Beer bottles is about the only thing I can think of in any quantity. Most of the people I see canoing would probably be money ahead if they just strapped in a keg. They aren't glass.

[hank franklin]

For you winos, the solution is simple. Buy a big plastic bottle of grape juice, drink the juice and save the bottle, then pour your wine into that.

No glass on the river is a great law. One question I had from Wayne's post however is it seems to say no glass only in tippy boats, meaning the jet boaters would be exempt. Is this correct? I saw some jet boaters with bottles this weekend.