Boating
IDLE SPEED REGULATIONS FOR BOATS – JANUARY 1, 2023
- No one shall Wake Surf on Lake Wylie in excess of idle speed within 200 feet of (i) a moored or an anchored vessel, (ii) a person in the water, (iii) any wharf, (iv) any dock, (v) any bulkhead, or (vi) any pier.
- No person may operate a boat on Lake Wylie in excess of idle speed within 50 feet of (i) a moored or an anchored vessel, (ii) a person in the water, (iii) any private wharf, (iv) any private dock, (v) any private bulkhead, or (vi) any private pier.
- For reference, 52 feet is the width of 4 lanes of I-85.
- NOTE: Idle speed is required within 50 yards of public docks on Lake Wylie in North Carolina.
IDLE SPEED REGULATIONS FOR PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (PWC)
North Carolina – Idle speed is required for operating a PWC within 100 feet of an anchored or moored vessel, a dock, pier, swim float, marked swimming area, swimmers, surfers, persons engaged in angling, or any manually operated propelled vessel, unless the personal watercraft is operating in a narrow channel. In a narrow channel the standoff distance is 50 feet for PWCs.
South Carolina – No person may operate a PWC in excess of idle speed within 50 feet of (i) a moored or an anchored vessel, (ii) a person in the water, (iii) any wharf, (iv) any dock, (v) any bulkhead, or (vi) any pier.
BOATING REGULATION LINKS
- Boating in Mecklenburg County: What Every Boater Should Know Before Launching Their Vessel
- Gaston County Police Department: Boating Education and Safety Regulations
- LWMC Motor Boating and Personal Watercraft Safety and Education Regulations under Gaston County Police Dept
- NC General Statutes, Chapter 75A: Boating and Water Safety
- NC Wildlife Resources Commission: Boating and Waterways
- New Laws for Area Lakes
- North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) Title 15 A – Environmental and Natural Resources
- South Carolina Handbook of Boating Laws and Responsibilities
- South Carolina Code of Laws: Title 50, Fish, Game and Watercraft
- Boating Under the Influence: Sheyenne’s Law
Fishing & Hunting
- North Carolina Fishing, Trapping and Hunting Regulations
- South Carolina Boating, Fishing and Hunting Regulations
Invasive Species
- Illegal Aquatic Plants of South Carolina
- SC Aquatic Nuisance Species Ordinances
- NC Aquatic Weed Control Act of 1991
- NC Inland Fishing Regulations: Possession of Certain Fishes
Shoreline & Water Quality Protection
Catawba River Basin Riparian Buffer Protection Rules (NC)
- Buffer Protection Rules for Catawba River Basin Lakes and Mainstem
- Catawba River Basin Riparian Buffer Protection Rules Fact Sheet
- Questions about the Catawba riparian buffer protection rules? Contact the NC Division of Water Quality, Mooresville, NC Regional Office, 704-663-1699 OR the NC Division of Water Quality, Wetland and Stormwater Branch, Raleigh 919-733-1786
Charlotte & Mecklenburg County
- City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (NC) Sedimentation and Erosion Control Ordinance
- City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (NC) Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance: Policies and Procedures
- City of Charlotte Erosion Control Program
- Mecklenburg Lake Water Quality Regulations and Manuals
- Mecklenburg Sedimentation and Erosion Control Ordinances
Gaston County
- Gaston County Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinances
- Gaston County (NC) Stormwater Control Ordinances
North Carolina
- North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) Title 15 A – Environmental and Natural Resources
- North Carolina Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973: 5 Mandatory Erosion Control Practices
York County
- York County (SC) Lake Wylie / Catawba River Buffer Ordinance
(under revision in 2008) - York County (SC) Land Usage (including Stormwater Management and Sedimentation Control)
- York County (SC) Water Conservation Ordinance
South Carolina
- South Carolina Code of Laws: Title 48, Environmental Protection and Conservation
- South Carolina Code of Laws: Title 49, Waters, Water Resources and Drainage
