The City of Kenai has improved the ‘No-Wake Zone’ informational controls for the upcoming dip net fishery season.
City Manager Rick Koch said more sophisticated buoys and signs have been installed.
Koch: “It’ll be much easier for people to understand precisely what we’re asking them to do and last year they did very well. After the first couple of days that we had a boat out there providing additional direction, everybody got the drill and then as new people showed up they just fell in line.”
Like last year, the no-wake zone is in effect two hours before and after high tides that are at least 21.5 feet.
Koch: “Well it’s 5 MPH, it’s 24 hours per day. It becomes very damaging for high tides, if people are on their boats near that shore at high tide it damages significant areas of riparian habitat and even up into people’s lawns and yards.”
Many fisher people reported last year’s fishery as the best experience they’d had on the docks in years because of boats going slower and increased safety patrols.