Council passes no wake zone ordinance in Kenai harbor

  • By DAN BALMER
  • Thursday, April 17, 2014 10:20pm
  • News

As complaints about the effects of the Kenai River’s crowded summer dipnet fishery continue to pour in, the Kenai City Council gave the city manager the ability to establish “no-wake zones” in the Kenai Harbor.

The ordinanace, passed during the council’s Wednesday meeting, was sponsored by members Bob Molloy and Brian Gabriel. It gives the city manager the discretion to regulate boat speed in the harbor citing the necessity for public safety and the protection of private property.

Molloy, harbor commission council liaison, said residents have voiced their concerns through public comment at dipnet work sessions on the issue of damaged property and public safety created by boat wakes at high tide during the peak fishery season.

“People that use our harbor were concerned with 400-600 small vessels in a two-mile stretch of river with no regulation on speed with boats zipping up and down,” he said. “Add in the big commercial vessels and it creates lots of dangerous conditions.”

Molloy said in addition to the safety factors, boat wakes during high tide damage property and creates riverbank erosion.

The ordinance addresses those concerns and will impose enforcement by posting signs within their jurisdiction, Molloy said.

“At Homer’s harbor, they have a built in rock wall and a no wake zone that people are used to,” he said. “Here we have a river mouth with no way to control your speed. We have heard the public’s message and have all seen the problems down there for ourselves.”

The no wake zones can be established as either temporary or permanent speed-controlled areas according to the ordinance.

Gabriel, a commercial fisherman who lives near the mouth of the Kenai River, said he has seen boats that use the popular fishery creating dangerous conditions on the water. He said people pay more attention to catching fish than boating safety.

“When the tide comes up to a certain level and reaches the vegetative line of the banks, the boat wakes create erosion issues,” he said. “Times where no wake zone apply would be during high tides until the tide falls back below the line.”

Gabriel said the Coast Guard will be active to regulate speeds and ensure safer boating conditions in the Kenai Harbor during from July 10-31 fishery season and, he said, the city will put signs at the boat launch and on buoys in the water that will remind boaters to slow down to five miles per hour in no-wake zones during high tide.

 

The city council also postponed a resolution on travel policy after spending about 45 minutes making amendments on the council and mayor’s travel policy. After several amendments were made to three sentences, council member Gabriel recommended the council postpone the resolution and finalize a policy in a work session at a later date.

The council will hold a work session on the second meeting in May.

Vice Mayor Ryan Marquis said he felt council members should have to fill out a report on their trip, and give a verbal account if a council member or mayor travel on city related business. He said having a travel policy is a necessity to show if a council member or mayor travels at the city’s expense.

“People need to know what is done on public funds,” he said.

Gabriel said while he is glad the council came up with a travel policy, he did not see the necessity of calling a special meeting to vote to approve a council member’s travel.

“It seems like we get hung up on minor details, but every issue we discuss is important,” Gabriel said. “We want to get it (as) close to right as we can at least the first time around.”

Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com

More in News

Concert-goers listen to The Discopians at Concert on the Lawn on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
‘Dancing at the end of the world’

KBBI AM 890 hosted their annual Concert on the Lawn Saturday.

Lisa Gabriel unfurls a set beach seine during a test fishery for the gear near Clam Gulch, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seine test fishery continues after board of fish calls for more data

The east side setnet fishery has been entirely closed in recent years to protect Kenai River king salmon

Jason Criss stands for a photo in Soldotna, Alaska, after being named a qualifier for the Special Olympics USA Games on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna athlete to compete in 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

Thousands of athletes from across all 50 states will be competing in 16 sports.

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on May 7, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
HEA opens bids for real property

The deadline to submit bids is 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. (right) attends a change of plea hearing related to the October 2023 fatal shooting of Brianna Hetrick on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at the Homer Courthouse in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Mondragon-Lopez sentenced for death of Homer woman

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. accepted a plea deal in February for the shooting of Brianna Hetrick.

Soldotna City Hall is seen on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna OKs $395,000 capital plan

This year’s list of capital projects is “nominal compared to some past years,” according to officials.

A map of areas proposed for annexation by the City of Soldotna. (Provided by City of Soldotna)
Soldotna adds annexation proposal to ballot

The proposed annexation is split across five small areas around the city.

Nets are extended from North Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, during the first day of the Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘A really good day’

Kenai River personal use sockeye salmon dipnet fishery opens.

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough assembly to consider ordinance to increase residential property tax exemption

If approved by voters in October, the ordinance would increase the tax exemption by $25,000.

Most Read