Should horsepower limits on Kenai River be raised to 50HP?
Controversies never cease when the topic of raising the limit on the max horsepower a boat may have when used on the Kenai River. But the questions still remain, will this really help in the to minimize the wake problems that are proclaimed to be causing the bank erosion along with the excessive water pollution that threatens this very popular Alaska river.
Making a Practical and Sensible Amendment to the Kenai 35 Horsepower Limit.
The Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board has enforced a 35 horsepower restriction on boats operating on the waters of the Kenai River below Skilak Lake since 1987. During this time, the usage of the river as a recreational area has grown immensely and the popularity of this river system has never been greater. This brings up some new problems for the management teams in trying to keep or enhance the value of the river as a recreational destination while at the same time protecting the habitat to ensure the long term survival of this fragile ecosystem.
Here is my personal feeling about raising the horsepower limit from 35 HP to 50HP. As I find this to be only a small step in the right direction, it will not resolve the bank erosion problem that faces this river. The boats themselves will also need to be addressed as they have steadily gotten bigger and carry more people which increases the gross weight of the boat thus increasing the draft and requiring more power to get the boat planed out. It’s common place to see upwards of 6 people in the large boats like the notorious Willey Predator. These boats designed for 200 Horsepower have a very difficult time getting on step when weighted down as we see them on a daily basis. If you increase the size of the engine, what will keep the users from buying larger boats and excessively loading them negating any possible positive effect of adding the larger motor?
Here Is Another Thought To Ponder.
Hull design is crucial to this equation and MUST be added to any decision for the total impact to be realized. The problem of high displacement hulls on under powered boats being used on the rivers is one of great controversy. We here users siting safety concerns as a reason for their use but find little evidence to support their statements.
The final outcome of any decision must keep in mind that the purpose of the change is to protect the habitat and not to develop another regulation for the benefit of the users. We are the ones responsible to adapt, it’s not the task of the environment to protect itself from us.
without a responsible decision now we take the chance of loosing another of the greatest resources Alaska has to offer.
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