El Dorado County Municipal Code Ch. 9.17 Pleasure Motor Boat Noise at Lake Tahoe

A. The County Board of Supervisors declares and finds that excessive noise levels are detrimental to the public health, welfare and safety and contrary to the public interest. The intent of this chapter is to reduce excessive noise associated with pleasure motor boats on Lake Tahoe.

B. This chapter is consistent with the State of Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners amended NAC 488.460 Adopted Regulation R116-00, which establishes noise level criteria for motorboats, and is currently enforced on Lake Tahoe.

(Code 1997, § 9.17.010; Ord. No. 4598, 5-7-2002)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Ambient noise level means the composite of noise from all sources excluding the noise of the pleasure motor boat being measured. In this context it represents the normal or existing level of environmental noise at a given location for a specified time of the day or night.

Decibel means a unit of measuring the amplitude of a sound, equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the pressure of the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is 20 micropascals.

Enforcement Officer means any law enforcement officer or Health Officer.

Equivalent sound level (Leq) means the equivalent or energy-averaged sound level.

Maximum sound level (Lmax) means the maximum noise level measured on a sound level meter.

Pleasure motor boat means any boat which is powered by an inboard, outboard or inboard/outboard motor and is used for recreational purposes, including boats that are or may be used commercially to support recreational use. This includes, but is not limited to, commercial fishing and sightseeing. A vessel competing in a regatta, boat race, or trial runs pursuant to the terms of a duly authorized government permit shall not be considered a pleasure motor boat for purposes of this chapter.

Sound level means the sound pressure level in decibels as measured with a sound level meter using the A-weighting network, and set for slow response. The unit of measurement is referred to herein as dBA.

Sound level meter means an instrument meeting American National Standard Institute Standard S1.4A-1985 for Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meters or an instrument and the associated recording and analyzing equipment which will provide substantially equivalent data.

(Code 1997, § 9.17.020; Ord. No. 4598, 5-7-2002)

The measurement shall be conducted only by an Enforcement Officer or by persons qualified by training to perform these measurements, acting in the presence of an Enforcement Officer. Operating manuals or other literature provided by the sound level meter manufacturer should be consulted for both recommended operation of the instrument, and precautions to be observed. A field calibration of the sound level meter shall be performed immediately before and after each test sequence.

(Code 1997, § 9.17.030; Ord. No. 4598, 5-7-2002)

A. Pleasure motor boat engines manufactured before January 1 shall not exceed a sound level of 90 dBA Leq as measured adjacent to the exhaust outlets by a sound level meter utilizing a water-based measurement testing procedure consistent with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Marine Technical Committee testing procedures SAE J2005 and SAE J1970 or successor procedures which are recognized by the American National Standards Institute.

B. Pleasure motor boat engines manufactured on or after January 1 shall not exceed a level of 88 dBA Leq as measured adjacent to the exhaust outlets by a sound level meter utilizing a testing procedure consistent with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Marine Technical Committee testing procedures SAE J2005 and SAE J1970 or successor procedures which are recognized by the American National Standards Institute. Specific testing procedures shall be as prescribed by duly adopted policies and procedures of the Department of Environmental Management.

(Code 1997, § 9.17.040; Ord. No. 4598, 5-7-2002; Ord. No. 5051, § 2, 4-18-2017)

A. Pleasure motor boat engines shall not exceed a sound level of 75 dBA as measured by a sound level meter utilizing a shoreline-based measurement testing procedure consistent with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Marine Technical Committee testing procedures SAE J2005 and SAE J1970 or successor procedures which are recognized by the American National Standards Institute. Specific testing procedures shall be as prescribed by duly adopted policies and procedures of the Department of Environmental Management.

B. Measurement of a sound level that meets the criterion set in subdivision A does not preclude the conducting of a test of sound level to determine compliance with Section 9.17.040.

(Code 1997, § 9.17.050; Ord. No. 4598, 5-7-2002; Ord. No. 5051, § 2, 4-18-2017)

Violation of any provision of this chapter shall be an infraction, punishable as prescribed in Chapter 1.24.

(Code 1997, § 9.17.060; Ord. No. 4598, 5-7-2002)