CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - The state Wildlife Resources Commission has set up no-wake zones on the Catawba River to protect the safety of paddlers attracted by the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
The Charlotte Observer reported (https://bit.ly/1NTHLEk) the commission last month set up temporary rules calling for buoys along the 37-acre Saddler Island. The buoys will be in place May 1; a public hearing on permanent rules will be held May 7.
The whitewater center rents kayaks and paddleboards, for river use, to as many as 1,200 to 1,500 people a weekend.
The no-wake zones mean power boats will have to creep through the area.
Lt. Jeremy Harrill of the commission says water hazard problems have increased, especially in the warmer months when hundreds of kayaks and canoes are on the river.
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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, https://www.charlotteobserver.com
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