Recreational use of Virginia’s waterways is on the rise. With more jet-skis and kayaks sharing space with swimmers and fishers, things could dicey out there, if people don’t know the rules of the water. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is out with a draft plan to set guidelines, and the public comment period that had been set to end December 3rd has been extended until Dec 7th.
DGIF is responsible for some 240 boating access sites around the state. But there’s never been a plan for how to manage access and address conflicts.
“So you’ve got people trying to launch a boat or you’ve got people picking or trying to swim at a boat ramp.”
Virginia Tech Fish and Wildlife specialist, Jim Parkhurst studied demand trends and competing needs for DGIF. He says they differ greatly depending on location and type of waterway it is.
“In the east the bay is the dominant feature, through the piedmont it’s rivers streams and reservoirs and the western part of the state is mostly flowing waters and small impounded water ways.
Parkhurst sees a growing demand what are called, “Blueways” like Greenways” but for water.
It’s a similar concept, where people want to get on to the water and go from point A to point B as part of the experience. A lot of that is going to be on rivers and streams but having access, where you can actually get in and then pull out at a defined terminus is a challenge.”
The goal of the plan is to find ways to make recreational goals compatible despite declining resources at DGIF. And time is running out to see what’s in the plan and to make your ideas known.
