Also known by the commercial names Jet Ski, Sea Doo, Waverunner, etc., personal watercraft cause significant problems in the parks. They are typically propelled by an inboard, two-cycle, internal combustion engine driving a water jet. They are usually less than 16 feet long and carry one to three people in a sitting or standing position. The engines, which use a gas-oil mixture and are generally operated at sustained high speeds, deposit significant amounts of harmful and long-lasting pollutants such as MTBE (a gasoline additive) into lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. Personal watercraft also disrupt threatened and endangered wildlife species during feeding and nesting activity, as they are able to access shallow waters because of their prop-free design. Park visitors engaged in more traditional park activities, such as hiking, camping, bird-watching, and canoeing expect solitude and natural sounds to be part of their park experience. The high-pitched whine of personal watercraft and the resulting disturbance of wildlife lead to frequent complaints to park management.
Many accidents occur when very young or inexperienced operators are allowed to use personal watercraft without proper supervision or instruction. Experienced users also cause accidents when engaged in acrobatic maneuvers such as sharp turns and wave jumping. Personal watercraft have been involved in numerous accidents resulting in serious injuries and fatalities in national parks. Conflicts with other visitors in boats and at swimming areas are very common. Currently, national park system units use state boating laws, U.S. Coast Guard regulations, and federal regulations specific to the National Park Service to manage boating activity and enforce safety restrictions. Legal requirements involving personal watercraft vary widely from state to state. Under the NPS servicewide regulation, personal watercraft use would only be allowed in a limited number of areas, primarily national recreation areas, national seashores, and national lakeshores. The proposed rule prohibits personal watercraft use in units of the national park system unless the National Park Service determines that such use is appropriate for a specific unit based on that unit's enabling legislation, resources and values, other visitor uses, and overall management objectives. The proposal incorporates and distinguishes two methods of authorizing personal watercraft use. The first method is available for a relatively small group of park units where authorization might be appropriately and successfully accomplished through locally based procedures. The second method, unit-specific rule making through the Federal Register, is available for all other park units where authorization is deemed appropriate.
Personal watercraft use is just one of many emerging recreational pursuits that the National Park Service must address. New technological developments and experimental designs in vessels, aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, bicycles, rollerblades, climbing gear, and many other types of equipment challenge NPS management strategies and regulations.
Photo Credit: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
chip_davis@nps.gov
NPS Special Agent, detailed to Ranger Activities Division, Washington, D.C.
Back to Chapter 1: A Spectrum of Challenges
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