OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[djteako]

Hello all .

Let me start by saying that I am in no way against riverboating or boating in general . I do in fact , own a lake boat , and a canoe .

I was reffered to this forum from the Alberta outdoorsman forum , and asked to share a few requests , and laws regarding riverboating .
I live on the Medicine river , near Markerville , and over the years , this river has become more popular with jet boaters .I'm not sure why , as it is a horrible river to be boating on in the first place. This river is not a rocky bottom river like the Red Deer river , but a mud bottom river . People , you are causing irrepairable damage to both the river bottom and banks . Since the last survey of my property was done in 1997 , to last summer , I have lost 2.6 meters of property . Now alot of this is caused by mother nature , but please , mother nature doesn't need your help . Every time a powerboat goes by my property , I watch chunks of land fall off into the river from the wake caused by the boats . I will be taking pictures and videos of this to support my claim over the course of the summer , and post them as I get them .
Now for the legal aspect . Under the Alberta Public Land use act , section 54(1)(e) states , " no person shall cause,permit or suffer the disturbance of any public land in any manner that results or is likely to result in injury to the bed or shore of any river, stream , watercourse , lake or other body of water or land in the vicinity of that public land or , the creation of any condition on public land which is likely to result in soil errosion . "
As well , there are regulation under the Fish and Wildlife act , regarding the protection and destruction of fish habitat , though I don't have them yet to share . I will post them as I get them .

Please , I am asking all boaters that use the red deer river , to please stay off all the smaller tributaries and creeks that feed it . Just because your boat can go there , doesn't mean it should .
I would hate to see boating go the way that quading and offroading is going , in that soon there will be no places other than private lands to go. All it takes is a little common sence and respect for the environment .
There are many rivers , and lakes out there that boats either are not allowed , or shouldn't go , not just the Medicine river .
I am starting by asking the boating community nicely , through this and other forums . I know its not everybody , but it could be ruined for everybody if we don't all try to do our part .
As mentioned earlier , over the course of this summer I will be photographing and videoing boats as they go by my place , as will many of my nieghbors , and if needed , will be sharing with higher powers that be .
Please boat responsibley .
Thank you

[gotboost]

i will make sure i wave on the way bye

[REPO]

I'm confused by this post. Are you actually concerned about he river, or are you more concerned with the river bank slowly eroding and your land being consumed by this? ( sounds to me the erosion )

How much measurable erosion was there with all the rain and high water levels in the last couple of years? Are you also looking to go after anyone who may have ditched their land to help drain their sloughs into the river? Sounds like you are just trying to put the blame on someone for this. If there were no boats on the river would you be trying to blame someone else? Let's get real here. Erosion happens, period. River boats or not, those banks are going to eventually erode away. Some rivers can change their course substantially.

Before you come onto a site and throw round-about threats out, you better have some measurable facts ready.

[oh-yaa]

I would trade that lake boat in for a jetboat.

[mudslinger]

Yes agreed Repo,mother nature has a funny way of dealing with rivers and their course, its like electricity,least amount of resistance,or gravity. maybe the gentleman isn't aware of how a river changes over the course of say 5 years or one good flood! or he just has'nt been on any rivers over the last 30 years and has'nt seen for himself how erosion works .as for being directed by someone on the Alberta Outdoors forum it is no surprise! I've looked at that forum and geeeez! it seems 90 percent of them are junior wardens and wanting to start a debate or some online political bulls#$!

[Canadian Turbine]

I thought the guy seemed fairly polite about the matter if he can prove it. We do have to respect the enviroment with our boats otherwise our river privelages will be taken away. And of course it always takes afew idiots from both sides to screw it up for the rest of us.

[boosted]

[djteako]

Thank you CT and boosted .

Yes , you are correct , in that I am concerned about the errosion of my land , and everyone else that lives on this awful river . But for the noise and privacy , no . Yes the noise can be bothersome at times , but I also have very noisy hobbies and would be a big hipocrite if i were to complain about it . Is a matter of fact , I miss the time back in the 80's when they used to have races on the red deer river . As for the privacy part , that doesn't bother me either . I have no problems with the people using the river all year long , as long as they are respectful , which I will say everyone I've encountered boating on the river has been . (wish I could say the same about some of the quaders in the winter!!!)
I should also point out I am not alone int his , but am just one voice of a whole group .
Most of us on the Medicine river are all working to try to improve the quality of the river , and clean it up some . I am definately one of the people that will report my niegbors if I see thier cattle on the river !!!
I do know to , that the boating on the river is a very minor cause compared to mother nature , but mother nature doesn't need any help . and yes , I've lived on this river for 15+ years now . I've seen the changes , and have also witnessed what a boat wke can do . It comes down to two points . 1. every little bit we can all do helps . 2. just because you can do go somewhere with your machine , doesn't wean you should - and this applies to everyone every where , definately not just the boaters .

Like I said orriginally , the last thing I want to do is ruin it for all , but the only way the medicine river watershed alliance would be able to get the river closed to power boats would be to include the Red Deer river from the dam to the city ,as we have to prove first and foremost a safety hazzard , and we would need the support of the tubers and the fishermen .I would hate to see the red deer closed too , but it comes down to safety in numbers but we all know where the numbers are .

[Bald Man]

If you think that 17 jet boats going up the river in the spring are erroding your land,,,you have lost your marbles. The run off into the little river is incredible as you can see from all the drainage ditches all over out there. Dont blame boats for mother nature's work. Ever seen the Upper Red Deer valley? It changes each season. Yes ,,, its more a gravel based water bed but the uncontrolled run off will be doing far more damage than a few boats each spring.

[boosted]

djteako, don't thank me so quick. All I said is that I can see your point not that I agree with you.

[ForPetesSake]

but the uncontrolled run off will be doing far more damage than a few boats each spring.

10-4!!

[jack]

All the land to high water mark is Crown land. Not yours.
I hear your concern and agree respectfully. The waterways are for all to use.
I had stopped to cook a hotdog on the NS river. I had someone yelling at me to get off their land!!! I was on the shore sitting on the bow. We had a fire from driftwood small but big enough to cook a couple of dogs. A complete idiot. I ignored it and it went away. I would have defended my right to whatever degree needed to stand my ground but it was not needed. The person knew that he was in the wrong so went away.
Obviously you have a concern as you sought out this forum to voice it.
My boat is legal. The waterways are for all to use.
Erosion is part of natures way. Wake wash sucks if your shoreline is dirt as it will be affected. I have a hard time believing it is mostly due to boat wake!
People who use the waterways better get on it to protect our usage. Once people complain and like mentioned , close the whole river ? Rather than a tributary?! Buearocracy at it finest. These type of people scare me.
There is a new house built on the rivers edge just out of Devon a few miles. The owner has altered the shoreline to access the river, a boat launch , nice. In Devon we are told that it is illegal to put a better launch in as it's federal water rules and you cannot disrupt the river with concrete pads to drive on into the water. Two sets of rules eh!? Or the land owner is breaking the law and no one does anything!?
So put some big rocks along your shore to protect it. It seems your allowed as this other land owner helped himself.
I'll be cooking my dogs and boating along and waving hello regardless.

[uliwon]

Recently the rapid rise and fall of waterways from the use of IPP's...(run of river hydro) has shown documented harm to juvenile fish that reside along the shore's of rivers, as well as increased erosion issues...yes mother nature does this, but we are contributing to it as well.

Rising water flows have a marked impact on sedimentary type shorelines, as does cattle use and Beavers for that matter...Mother nature certainly does her bit, generally for a short period, and its slowly rising water which is alot different than rapid wave action of wakes. Take 5 gallon bucket of water and toss it at a earthen bank over and over...yup...it does damage and erodes.

Djteako isn't that far off in my book, neither are others posting to the contrary though...BOTH are at fault, but one we can do something about. Of course Dj can shore up his land and build a breakwater too, but to deny boating has an effect shows a lack of understanding on how wave action and wakes differ from mother nature...next time you are ripping up a river look over your shoulder and see how the wake hits the beach...a wing-dam will stop mother-nature, it won't stop a wake..

[REPO]

I don't think anyone is saying that a boat wake doesn't contribute to erosion. It's the fact that others blame the erosion entirely on boats. If boats were going by on a constant basis, ( I.E. hourly) I can see it as a contributing factor, but the occasional boat is not going to be noticeable. Heck, the local rivers around here are super busy with boats going by, and you don't see any changes to the bank. BUT, a good strong 2 week rain has raised the water level and taken out sections of bank over 5 feet back. Now add to this the huge amounts of rain we have gotten in the past couple years. I can bet that there was more erosion to the river bank in those months, than the river boats have done in the past 30 years.

[RPM]

boat wakes do cut the shoreline down take look at the shore where wakeboats hang out . as boaters we should probably think about not only sticking together against people who want to outlaws us from waterways , but also ease up on area's that might be causing damage to property and or environment . we don't need the bad rap on riverboats giving the other user's any traction on getting us shutdown . just something i was thinkin .