Shasta County Municipal Code Ch. 12.24 Boating, Swimming and Fishing

It is declared that the purpose of this chapter is to further the public interest, welfare and safety by providing for the protection and promotion of safety and sanitation in the operation of vessels operated in waters within the jurisdiction of this county.

(Prior code § 3200)

This chapter is enacted pursuant to Section 660 of the Harbors and Navigation Code of the state and all other applicable federal and state laws.

(Prior code § 3211)

For the purposes of this chapter, the words set out in this section shall have the following meanings:

"Motorboat" means any vessel propelled by machinery, including those temporarily equipped with detachable motors, whether or not such machinery is the principal source of propulsion, but shall not include a vessel which has a valid marine document issued by the Bureau of Customs of the United States Government or any federal agency successor thereto.

"Person" means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint stock association, or body politic, except the United States, the state, and the county, and includes any agent, trustee, executor, receiver, assignee or other similar representative thereof.

Owner. A.

"Owner" means a person having all the incidents of ownership, including the legal title, of a vessel whether or not such person lends, rents, or pledges such vessel; the person entitled to the possession of a vessel as the purchaser under a conditional sale contract: or the mortgagor of a vessel.

B. "Owner" does not include a person holding legal title to a vessel, or the renter or lessor of a vessel to the state or to any county, city, district, or political subdivision of the state under a lease, lease-sale, or rental-purchase agreement which grants possession of the vessel to the lessee for a period of thirty consecutive days or more.

"Sailboat" means any vessel propelled by sail or canvas. For the purposes of this division, any vessel propelled by both sail or canvas and machinery of any sort shall be deemed a motorboat when being so propelled.

"Vessel" means every description of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on, through, or under water, including, but not limited to, rafts, aquaplanes, water skis and surfboards, except the following:

A. A seaplane on the water;

B. A watercraft specifically designed to operate on a permanently fixed course, the movement of which is restricted to or guided on such permanently fixed course by means of a mechanical device on a fixed tract or arm to which the watercraft is attached or by which the watercraft is controlled, or by means of a mechanical device attached to the watercraft itself.

(Prior code §§ 3201 — 3205)

A. The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to any of the waterways of the county and shall be construed to supplement federal and state laws and regulations when not expressly inconsistent therewith on all waterways where such federal and state laws and regulations are applicable.

B. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to lands not owned by public agencies or dedicated to public use only at such times as such lands are made available by the owner or owners for full public utilization for navigation and recreational purposes. Such availability shall be established by the filing, by the owner or owners and with the consent of the board of supervisors, of a map showing the areas open to such public use. Such filing shall be made at the office of the county clerk and may be terminated by the owner's notice in writing to the clerk. Filing of such map shall constitute consent by the owner to be bound by the provision of this chapter and to place and maintain signs and barriers as specified by the county, except that any act by the owner which is necessary for the operation or maintenance of the premises shall not be deemed a violation of this chapter and shall constitute consent for entrance onto the property by officials of any public agency for police and fire protection services. The procedure established by this section shall not be deemed a dedication of the property to the public.

C. Provisions of this chapter shall not apply to employees of governmental agencies or to employees of P.G.&E. when used in official business of their employers.

(Prior code §§ 3210, 3250, 3251)

No persons having possession or being in charge or control of a vessel shall authorize or knowingly permit the same to be operated by any person who, by reason of physical or mental disability, or because of age, intoxication or the influence of any narcotic drug or dangerous drug as defined by the California Health and Safety Code, is incapable of operating such watercraft under the prevailing circumstances.

(Prior code § 3220)

No person shall take, use or operate any vessel without the consent of the owner or person in charge thereof.

(Prior code § 3221)

A. From and after the effective date of this section the sheriff is authorized to close those portions of Shasta Lake to waterskiing upon his finding that waterskiing in such areas is hazardous. Such closure shall be effective from and after the placement of buoys declaring the area closed as follows:

1. At least two buoys in the waterway or waterways connecting the closed area with other portions of the lake; and

2. At least one buoy at each launch ramp open to the public and within the closed area.

B. Any such closure may be revoked by the sheriff at any time upon his finding that waterskiing within such area is no longer hazardous.

(Prior code § 3221.5)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2008-02, § 1, adopted Aug. 12, 2008, deleted § 12.24.080, in its entirety. Former § 12.24.080 pertained to waterskiing restrictions—Lake Britton and derived from Prior code § 3221.6.

No person shall operate a motorboat at a speed in excess of five miles per hour in any of the following areas:

A. Within two hundred feet of any permanent launching ramp or permanent boat docking or berthing facility;

B. Within one hundred feet from any shoreline or anchored vessel;

C. On the following coves or areas of the following arms of Shasta Lake:

1. Sacramento River arm:

a. The Sacramento River above Riverview docks,

b. Indian Creek,

c. Big Sugarloaf Creek,

d. Upper Salt Creek (1) east of the railroad bridge, and (2) for a distance of forty-five hundred feet west of the railroad bridge,

e. Little Sugarloaf Creek,

f. Upper O'Brien Inlet,

g. Halfway Cove,

h. Big Backbone Creek north of Lime Road Creek,

i. Little Squaw Creek,

j. Dry Fork,

k. Charlie Creek Cove,

l. Doney Creek Cove,

m. Five hundred feet south of the Antlers Resort boat dock to five hundred feet north of the Antlers Resort boat dock,

n. Five hundred feet south of the Lakeshore Resort boat dock to five hundred feet north of the Lakeshore Resort boat dock,

o. Five hundred feet south of Tsasdi's Resort boat dock to five hundred feet north of the Tsasdi's Resort boat dock;

2. McCloud River arm:

a. Little Cavieye Creek,

b. Nosoni Creek,

c. Dekkas Creek,

d. Campbell Creek,

e. Kelucha Creek,

f. Ycatti Creek,

g. Hirz Creek,

h. Green's Creek Cove;

3. Squaw Creek arm:

a. Upper Squaw Creek north of Didallis Creek summer home tract,

b. Winston Gulch;

4. Pit River arm:

a. Stein Creek,

b. Flat Creek,

c. Brock Creek,

d. Arbuckle Creek,

e. Sugar Pine Gulch,

f. Dark Canyon,

g. Dead Horse Creek,

h. Reynolds Creek,

i. Blue Canyon,

j. Murphy Creek,

k. Reno Canyon,

l. Brush Canyon,

m. Jones Valley Cove,

n. Silverthorn Cove;

D. On Fall River, from the south boundary of Section 19, T. 38 N., R, 4 E., M.D.B. & M., to its confluence with the Tule River;

E. On Lake Britton:

1. Between Lake Britton Dam and the Ferry Crossing,

2. Burney Creek Cove,

3. From two hundred yards west (downstream from) the Highway 89 bridge to two hundred yards east of (upstream from) the railroad bridge,

4. East (upstream) from point seventy-five miles west of the gas pipeline crossing;

F. On Lake McCloud upstream from the road bridge at the north end of the McCloud arm of the lake;

G. On Little Tule River from its confluence with the Tule River up to and including Eastman Lake.

(Ord. 2000-3 (part), 2000: Ord. 99-3 (part), 1999: Ord. 93-7 § 2, 1993: prior code § 3222)

(Ord. No. 2008-02, § 2, 8-12-2008; Ord. No. 2024-04, § 1, 7-16-2024; Ord. No. 2025-04, § I, 9-23-2025)

The sheriff and any of his deputies are exempted from speed limits imposed by Sections 12.24.090 B and C and 12.24.120 while driving a sheriffs patrol boat under all of the following conditions:

A. If the boat is being driven in response to an emergency call or is engaged in rescue operations or in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law;

B. If the driver of the boat sounds a siren as may reasonably be necessary in the circumstances and the boat displays a lighted blue lamp visible from the bow as a warning to other persons using the body of water in the vicinity of the boat.

(Ord. 2000-3 (part), 2000: Ord. 99-3 (part), 1999: prior code § 3224.1)

No races of any motor vessel or motor vessels shall be held upon the waters of the county except at such times and at such places as may be designated from time to time by the board of supervisors of the county and/or the United States Forest Service or United States National Park Service.

(Prior code § 3230)

No person shall operate a vessel during the hours between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise at a speed in excess of fifteen miles per hour.

(Prior code § 3224)

No person shall dump human waste, bottles, cans, motor oil, garbage, trash or other debris from a vessel into the waters of the county.

(Prior code § 3223)

A. No person shall anchor a vessel in a heavily travelled channel except in an emergency.

B. No person shall tie or otherwise moor a vessel directly to the face of Shasta Dam.

(Ord. 99-2 (part), 1999: prior code § 3225)

A. No person shall operate a vessel within five hundred feet of Keswick Dam, Lake Britton Dam, Pit 1 Intake Dam, Pit 6 Dam, Pit 7 Dam, Lake McCloud Dam, Whiskeytown Dam Glory Hole, Clear Creek Powerhouse, Keswick Powerhouse or the railroad immediately downstream from the Spring Creek Powerhouse on Keswick Lake, nor between Shasta Dam and highway bridge below the Shasta Dam Powerhouse, nor within two hundred feet of the intake portal of Iron Canyon Dam, nor Pit 1 Forebay Dam, nor Hat Creek 1 Reservoir Spillway Dam. No person shall operate a vessel on Shasta Lake within one thousand feet of Shasta Dam.

B. No person shall operate a vessel within a water area which has been clearly marked, in accordance with, and as authorized by, this chapter, the laws of the state, or by rules of the United States Bureau of Reclamation or United States Forest Service, or United States National Park Service, by buoys or some other distinguishing device, as a bathing, swimming or otherwise restricted area; provided that, this section shall not apply in the case of an emergency, or to patrol or rescue craft.

(Ord. 99-2 (part), 1999: prior code §§ 3226, 3229)

(Ord. No. 2024-04, § 1, 7-16-2024)

A. No person shall swim, bathe himself or operate a water craft at any time in the following water storage facilities:

1. Coleman Forebay;

2. Cow Creek Forebay;

3. Kilarc Forebay;

4. Lake Grace;

5. Lake Nora;

6. On Hat Creek between Hat Creek 1 powerhouse intake and the county bridge on Cassel Road;

7. Pit 4 Forebay;

8. Pit 7 Afterbay;

9. Pit 5 Reservoir;

10. Pit 5 Open conduit.

B. No person shall swim in the open and main channels of Shasta Lake, Whiskeytown Lake or Lake Britton unless accompanied by a vessel manned by a competent operator. No person shall swim or bathe within two hundred feet of any boat launching ramp or dock open to the public. No person shall dive from Shasta Dam.

C. No person shall operate a motorboat, except a motorboat powered solely by electric trolling motor, at any time in the following water storage facilities:

1. McCumber Reservoir;

2. Hat Creek 2 Reservoir (Baum Lake);

3. North Battle Creek Reservoir.

D. No person shall swim or scuba dive within one thousand feet of Shasta Dam.

(Prior code §§ 3227, 3228)

(Ord. No. 2024-04, § 1, 7-16-2024)

A. No person shall fish from the bridge crossing the Sacramento River on County Highway 9E, approximately two and one-quarter miles northeast of the city of Anderson.

B. No person shall fish from Shasta Dam.

(Prior code §§ 2930, 3228.1)

The procedures in connection with violation of this division shall be as set forth in Sections 664, 665, 666, 667 and 670 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, state of California. (Prior code § 3240)