Dear HCN,
I was encouraged by your
article on “thrillcraft” since jetboats have increased dramatically
in recent years on the Colorado River in the Moab area (HCN,
8/4/97).
After numerous complaints from concerned
citizens (mostly swimmers using local beaches), a meeting was held
by the Grand County Council. The matter at hand was whether to
restrict upstream travel on a particular 10-mile stretch of the
Colorado. The Utah State Division of Parks and Recreation has the
authority to regulate motorized use and could have done so strictly
on a safety basis – motorized watercraft must come to a wakeless
speed within 150 feet of any individual or any other vessel. Rarely
is this requirement observed. The council elected not to recommend
any changes, mainly because of the objections of one commercial
rafting company that conducts many motorized
trips.
I’m sure there are some considerate people
who use their machines in a responsible fashion, but my experience
has been just the opposite. It seems logical that the most
considerate of individuals would not be attracted to a watercraft
whose main purpose is to blast up and down on waterways while
spewing out noise and pollution. I hope we can find ways to
separate these watercraft from areas where they do the most
damage.
Stan
Ferris
Moab, Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Unimpressed with jetboats.
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