Proposals to Change Docking of Personal Watercrafts On Deep Creek Lake
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By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 August 28th, 2009 Category: News |
Recently, DNR’s Deep Creek Lake Manager, Carolyn Matthews, released proposed changes to the current lake regulations that deal with the docking and mooring of personal watercrafts (PWCs) at permitted Type A boat docks and common docks.
It is proposed that lakefront property owners with private Type A dock permits (also known as Buffer Strip Use Permits) may keep up to 4 boats (current regulations only allow for 3 boats) on the lake - 3 of which may be a combination of power boats and personal watercraft provided the permit holder pays an additional $100 permit fee. These property owners may also keep beached boats on the shoreline provided they weigh less than 500 lbs. The current regulations only allow for 2 power boats and 1 non power boat (a sailboat for example) - but many lakefront property owners also keep either one or two PWCs at their docks in addition to the 2 power and 1 non power boats. When PWCs were smaller and could be beached on the shoreline this wasn’t such a big deal - but now that most PWCs weigh more than 500 lbs and need to be moored at a dock this has become a much bigger issue for DNR.
It is also proposed that the Lake Manager will be given authority to monitor and approve the number of PWCs that can be moored at a common dock for the various lake access communities around Deep Creek Lake. The proposal states that the amount of PWCs moored at these types of docks will not exceed 1/3rd of the allocated number of slips already approved. This proposal does not say whether the PWC must be moored to the dock in the water or if it can be moored on an individual PWC stand on the shoreline. Most lake access property owners are allocated one (1) boat slip in a community or neighborhood association’s common dock. However, some owners in these communities also own PWCs in addition to a boat and have kept the PWC on a shoreline stand near the common dock. This proposal may very well eliminate the PWCs stands you see near these common docks.
Public comment on this issue will probably run from October 9th, 2009 thru November 9th, 2009. You can make Public Comment on DNR’s website about the proposed PWC docking changes by clicking here.
These proposals will affect many property and real estate owners around Deep Creek Lake so stay tuned for further updates. When we get additional details we’ll post the information on this blog. To stay updated please sign up for updates via e-mail or RSS a little ways down the right hand side of our main blog page.
Tags: Boat Docks, Common Dock, DNR, PWCs, Type A Dock
September 8th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
It seems those that have Type A docks will benefit from this proposal. We have a house with a common dock. We also have jet ski’s. I don’t see the benefit for the common dock folks.
Maybe I am not reading this correctly. Our jets skis are on stands. We are the only owners on this common dock who do not rent out. Please keep us updated.
Thanks
September 17th, 2009 at 9:22 am
This is insane. You mean to tell me that every type A dock will now be able to have three motorboats? The lake is already far beyond any reasonable capacity limit, and DNR wants to add more? Nuts, totally nuts. Deep Creek is already famous for having way too many boats on peak weekends. My friends call it the giant cuisineart. Does every dock really need three motorcraft? Talk about making the wake and erosion problems worse. This is going in the wrong direction, and will ultimately hurt property values for everyone as the quality of the recreational experience and lake water quality continues to degrade. This is a totally irresponsible proposal from DNR.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
@Woody - DNR is accepting public comments on this proposal from October 9th thru November 9th. Let them know how you feel! I’ve seen studies in the past that show the lake is actually capable of handling another 20% in boat traffic. As for property values there hasn’t been any evidence in the past that as boat traffic has increased over the years property values have decreased - in fact it’s been quite the opposite over the past 30 years as the lake has grown. I’m sure there is a tipping point with boat traffic and property values but no one knows for sure - that’s why it’s important for everyone to let DNR know how you feel!
@Georgia - DNR is basically trying to get rid of any jet skis and PWCs over 500 lbs being on the shoreline - whether they beached or on stands. So if your community has a 10 slip common dock - they will allow 3 jet skis to tie up to the side of the common dock - anything over 500 lbs can’t be beached or on a stand going forward. The communities will then have to decide which 3 owners get to tie their jet skis up to the common dock. In the example above, the 10 boats in the slips stay as is - 3 additional jet skis or PWCs will now be allowed to tie up to the side of the common dock.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I guess I’m not surprised that a real estate agent would say that. The studies that say the lake can handle another 20% more boats are, to put it mildly, a joke. The fact that there is a need for a capacity study at all should be a clue that there is a real problem. If you can really go out on a peak summer weekend and honestly say that the lake is not far over capacity already, then you clearly have a far different idea of what over crowding is than I and almost everyone I know at the lake. The only reason there aren’t more boats on the water on the weekends is because many property owners take one look at the boat traffic and decide to stay off the water.
Between DNR loading the lake up with the expanded state park boat launch area, and the increased rental fleets, the available lake capacity for homeowners has steadily gotten smaller over the years. Do you think that really will not impact property values over time?
The boats are also getting much bigger, perhaps in response to the ridiculous wakes on the lake, which of course makes the crowding and erosion problem even worse. I know several families who like the lake, but decided not to buy there because the lake is just too crazy on the weekends. Maybe there are enough others who don’t care, or who don’t remember what it was like before the 90’s boom, but I think you’re wrong if you think everyone supports uncontrolled growth in lake usage and development.
Just because property values have increased over the years, doesn’t mean lake overcrowding isn’t hurting property values. For all you know, values might have performed, or would perform even better if there were more controls to protect the lake. After all, prices are a function of resources and scarcity, and controls on development and boat access might actually make existing property much more valuable, not less. Of course it’s not something developers or agents would necessarily agree with, but at some point, overdevelopment and over saturation of the lake’s natural resources will impact the real value of property for everyone. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will cause a drop in value, but it certainly could mean a negative impact on growth in values. I would argue that those impacts are already there.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 am
If anyone is interested, here is a link to the most recent carrying capacity study on DNR’s web site. The consultants who prepared this study for DNR recommend prohibiting waterskiing on weekends from 11-4 similar to the weekend ban on PWCs - I don’t know if that would include tubing which seems to be much more popular than waterskiing these days. They also recommend more DNR boat patrols on peak days which has certainly been the case the past few summers.
http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/download/dclfinalreport.pdf
I personally don’t remember suggesting everyone supports uncontrolled growth for the lake and that is why I urge everyone voice their opinion to DNR. But I do remember the lake in the 70’s as a kid before the 90’s boom. I remember the bottleneck at the Glendale Bridge being just as bad back then. One of the biggest changes I think the 90’s real estate boom did to the lake was change the area from a weekend vacation spot to one where families spend an entire week here now - especially the 10 weeks in summer when most kids are out of school. Back in the 80’s and 70’s the boat traffic was very minimal Monday thru Friday.
People buy real estate here for more than just Deep Creek Lake. Sure Deep Creek Lake is the centerpiece and main attraction for them - but the Wisp for snow skiing, the numerous State Parks for hiking and biking, the Yough River for fly fishing just to name a few - are also big reasons why people buy second homes here as well.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I have not seen or heard anything about DNR opening up a site for Public Comment. Has anyone heard anything?
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:00 am
@Gil - I haven’t seen DNR open up any type of web site for comments. The best thing to do would be to call them at (301) 387-4111 and voice your comments to their staff. They have sent letters to all dock permit holders in the last few weeks announcing their proposals.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:17 am
http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/western/deepcreeklake.html
Scroll down a bit and it is there.
April 6th, 2010 at 7:46 am
[...] Last fall the Deep Creek Lake Management office sent a letter to all dock permit holders outlining p… These changes to the regulations will essentially get rid of all current PWC racks/stands on the shoreline. The public comment period ended a few months ago and the proposed changes to the regulations are expected to be approved by the State of Maryland in the very near future. [...]