07-01-2003, 05:15 AM
Deputies patrolling the lakes
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As boaters enter another season of fun and recreation on the water, the Oakland County Marine Division is once again providing patrol activities on many county lakes for the remainder of summer and the early fall.
A list provided by Marine Division officials indicates a total of 28 boats will be stationed at 27 lakes for patrols this year, from the Memorial Day Weekend in May until October.
In the lakes area, those listed lakes slated for patrols include: Lower and Middle Straits Lakes, located in Commerce Township and Commerce and West Bloomfield townships, respectively; The Commerce Lakes in Commerce; Loon Lake and Williams Lake in Waterford Township; White Lake, located in Highland and White Lake townships; Duck Lake in Highland Township; Sylvan Lake; Union Lake in Commerce and West Bloomfield townships; Walled Lake; Elizabeth Lake and Watkins Lake in Waterford Township; Pine Lake in West Bloomfield Township; Pontiac Lake in White Lake and Waterford townships; Maceday Lake in Waterford Township; Walnut Lake in West Bloomfield Township; Lake Sherwood in Commerce Township; Orchard Lake; Wolverine Lake; and two boats will be stationed on Cass Lake, located in West Bloomfield and Waterford Townships, Keego Harbor and Orchard Lake Village.
Last year, the Marine Division had 27 boats stationed on 26 lakes for the boating season.
As the largest Marine Division in the state, Oakland's Marine Division focuses enforcement efforts on 40 to 50 of the most heavily used lakes within the county. Some lakes are patrolled almost daily while others are covered every weekend.
According to Sgt. Paul Thomas of the Marine Division, those lakes patrolled daily have a boat stationed there for the duration of the boating season.
Thomas explained that permanently stationed boats are always on the lakes and only taken off the waters for mechanical problems and 100-hour service checks.
"Once a boat is put in the water it doesn't come out until Oct. 1, which is when we start pulling them," Thomas said. "When it starts getting colder outside, that's when we start taking the boats out of the water because people stop going out all the time."
Citing increased requests by riparians, Thomas said the order came down the chain of command to have a boat stationed on the listed lakes this year.
"Basically we look at where we have our problems," Thomas said. "Those lakes we have boats on are the bigger lakes, with public access or with a lot of homes on them. Some of the lakes like Duck Lake don't have public access but there's an awful lot of homes and people that live on the lake."
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaching, Thomas emphasized that personal boating safety is important.
According to Thomas, the deputies conduct random safety inspections of boats using the county's waterways, particularly in the beginning of the boating season.
A safety inspection involves checking the boat for various required equipment — one personal flotation device (PFD) for each occupant on the boat, a throwable flotation device for vessels 16 feet and larger, a working horn, working lights, a fire extinguisher and proper registration.
Once the safety inspection is complete and all requirements are met, the marine deputy will issue a safety inspection sticker to the boater that indicates the boat has successfully passed the inspection and marine deputies need not inspect the boat later in the summer.
Thomas said if all of the safety requirements are not met, the marine deputy can issue a citation or leave the boater with a warning and request the boater approach the marine deputy next time on the lake, with the problem corrected.
Thomas pointed out that deputies generally give out more warnings than actual citations, though, estimating a three-to-one ration for warnings vs. citations. The deputies try to educate the public as much as possible, so instead of handing out tickets for every small violation, Thomas said the warnings allow the deputies to maintain a more friendly attitude with regular boaters while providing some education.
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[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Michael%20Hoskins&-nothing"][#0000ff]by Michael Hoskins[/#0000ff][/url] [#0000ff][/#0000ff] [#0000ff]
[/#0000ff] As boaters enter another season of fun and recreation on the water, the Oakland County Marine Division is once again providing patrol activities on many county lakes for the remainder of summer and the early fall.
A list provided by Marine Division officials indicates a total of 28 boats will be stationed at 27 lakes for patrols this year, from the Memorial Day Weekend in May until October.
In the lakes area, those listed lakes slated for patrols include: Lower and Middle Straits Lakes, located in Commerce Township and Commerce and West Bloomfield townships, respectively; The Commerce Lakes in Commerce; Loon Lake and Williams Lake in Waterford Township; White Lake, located in Highland and White Lake townships; Duck Lake in Highland Township; Sylvan Lake; Union Lake in Commerce and West Bloomfield townships; Walled Lake; Elizabeth Lake and Watkins Lake in Waterford Township; Pine Lake in West Bloomfield Township; Pontiac Lake in White Lake and Waterford townships; Maceday Lake in Waterford Township; Walnut Lake in West Bloomfield Township; Lake Sherwood in Commerce Township; Orchard Lake; Wolverine Lake; and two boats will be stationed on Cass Lake, located in West Bloomfield and Waterford Townships, Keego Harbor and Orchard Lake Village.
Last year, the Marine Division had 27 boats stationed on 26 lakes for the boating season.
As the largest Marine Division in the state, Oakland's Marine Division focuses enforcement efforts on 40 to 50 of the most heavily used lakes within the county. Some lakes are patrolled almost daily while others are covered every weekend.
According to Sgt. Paul Thomas of the Marine Division, those lakes patrolled daily have a boat stationed there for the duration of the boating season.
Thomas explained that permanently stationed boats are always on the lakes and only taken off the waters for mechanical problems and 100-hour service checks.
"Once a boat is put in the water it doesn't come out until Oct. 1, which is when we start pulling them," Thomas said. "When it starts getting colder outside, that's when we start taking the boats out of the water because people stop going out all the time."
Citing increased requests by riparians, Thomas said the order came down the chain of command to have a boat stationed on the listed lakes this year.
"Basically we look at where we have our problems," Thomas said. "Those lakes we have boats on are the bigger lakes, with public access or with a lot of homes on them. Some of the lakes like Duck Lake don't have public access but there's an awful lot of homes and people that live on the lake."
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaching, Thomas emphasized that personal boating safety is important.
According to Thomas, the deputies conduct random safety inspections of boats using the county's waterways, particularly in the beginning of the boating season.
A safety inspection involves checking the boat for various required equipment — one personal flotation device (PFD) for each occupant on the boat, a throwable flotation device for vessels 16 feet and larger, a working horn, working lights, a fire extinguisher and proper registration.
Once the safety inspection is complete and all requirements are met, the marine deputy will issue a safety inspection sticker to the boater that indicates the boat has successfully passed the inspection and marine deputies need not inspect the boat later in the summer.
Thomas said if all of the safety requirements are not met, the marine deputy can issue a citation or leave the boater with a warning and request the boater approach the marine deputy next time on the lake, with the problem corrected.
Thomas pointed out that deputies generally give out more warnings than actual citations, though, estimating a three-to-one ration for warnings vs. citations. The deputies try to educate the public as much as possible, so instead of handing out tickets for every small violation, Thomas said the warnings allow the deputies to maintain a more friendly attitude with regular boaters while providing some education.
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