Trinity County Municipal Code Ch. 8.36 Boating

This chapter shall be known as the "Trinity County boating ordinance." It is the pur- pose of this chapter to establish time of day restrictions, speed zones, special use areas, and sanitation and pollution control on the navigable waters of the county.

(Ord. 263 §1, 1961)

A. "Houseboat" means any watercraft equipped with cooking or sleeping facilities.

B. "Navigable waters" means all public waters in the county, including river, stream, lake or reservoir or other body of water.

C. "Person" includes any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company or association, except the United States, the state of California and the county of Trinity, and includes any agent, trustee, or other representative thereof.

D. "Toilet" means any container, device or other object used to receive or contain human waste.

E. "Watercraft" means every description of craft or other contrivance used or capable of being used as a means of transportation or recreation in or on waters.

(Ord. 263-3 §1, 1974; Ord. 263 §2, 1961)

The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to all watercraft as defined in the Harbors and Navigation Code of the state, and administrative regulations promulgated thereunder, on all waterways of the county. The provisions of this chapter shall be construed to supplement federal and state laws.

(Ord. 263 §3, 1961)

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

B. No motorboat shall have in tow or shall otherwise be assisting a person on water skis, surfboard or similar contrivance from the period of sunset to sunrise; provided, that this subsection shall not apply to motorboats used in duly authorized water-ski tournaments, competitions, expositions or trials therefor.

(Ord. 263 §4, 1961)

A. No person shall operate a watercraft within any area designated by the board of supervisors of the county from time to time as a speed zone at a speed in excess of the posted maximum. Such speed zones shall be effective when signs are in place upon the shore or upon floats or buoys in the areas designated as speed zones, said signs to be not less than sixteen square feet in area with black numerals (not less than eighteen inches high, nor less than eighteen picas wide) showing maximum speed limit. The numerals shall be upon a white background.

B. It shall be the duty of the sheriff of the county to report from time to time, in writing, to the board of supervisors with recommendations as to speed zones to be established in various areas upon the navigable waters of the county. A copy of such report shall be sent to the planning commission for consideration and a report of any recommendations by the commission. Upon the establishment of speed zones by the board of supervisors, it shall be the duty of the sheriff to post the speed notices prescribed in subsection A of this section in places where such notice would be clearly visible to any person operating watercraft approaching such speed zones.

C. The sheriff may, from time to time, establish emergency speed zones without prior approval of the board of supervisors when such establishment is necessary for the immediate protection of life or property. Such emergency designation must be submitted to the board of supervisors at their next regular meeting following the emergency designation for approval and ratification unless the emergency has passed, and the restriction removed, prior to such meeting.

D. No person shall operate any watercraft on the waters of the Trinity River, between Cedar Flat Bridge and Old Lewiston Bridge, at a speed greater than five miles per hour.

(Ord. 1075 §1, 1985; Ord. 263 §5, 1961)

No person shall operate a watercraft within any area designated by the board of super- visors from time to time as a special use area in a manner contrary to the restricted use. Such special use areas shall be effective when signs are in place upon the shore or upon floats or buoys in the areas designated as special use areas, said signs to be not less than sixteen square feet in area with black numerals (in not less than twenty-four line high letters, a minimum of six picas wide) showing the restricted use, said letters or numerals to be upon a white background.

(Ord. 263 §6, 1961)

A. No person shall dump human or animal waste, motor oil, garbage, trash of any other debris into the waters of the county.

B. No person shall maintain or operate in or upon the navigable waters of any lake, reservoir or other freshwater impoundment of the county any houseboat, unless such watercraft is equipped with a toilet sealed or designed so that no human waste can be discharged into such waters.

C. Houseboats will be inspected yearly by a person designated by the county board of supervisors prior to May 31st, to insure compliance with subsection B of this section. A tag, decal or sticker will be issued to those houseboats found in compliance and will be affixed to the left rear corner of the houseboat. All houseboats coming within the scope of this chapter will be subject to periodic check at the discretion of a person appointed by the board of supervisors.

D. The exhaust of every internal combustion engine used on any motorboat shall be effectively muffled by equipment so constructed and used as to muffle the noise of the exhaust in a reasonable manner. The use of cutouts is prohibited.

(Ord. 263-3 §2, 1974: Ord. 263 §7, 1961)

Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed six months, or by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 263 §8, 1961)