As the primary media
spokesperson for the Ohio Division of Watercraft, I
often was asked during this boating season by many
reporters what impact higher marine fuel prices may be
having on recreational boating?
“There’s not one person in this country who isn’t
affected by higher fuel prices to some extent,” was my
standard opening response to those media questions. Now
with that inflammatory question quickly diffused, I went
on to explain that certainly higher fuel prices have had
an impact on some boating activities for some people,
just not for all boaters.
In addition to higher fuel prices, spring and early
summer weather patterns on weekends in particular
produced rain events that did not allow for good boating
conditions. Fishing success was varied throughout
portions of the Great Lakes mid-May through July and
that may have reduced some boating activity. So while
evidence can readily be found to support any number of
contentions about the level of boating activities this
season, one fact remains undisputed and that is many
people continued to enjoy recreational boating.
To say, or even to report, that boating activity was
down this year due to higher fuel prices is like saying
fewer people attended Cleveland Indians or Detroit
Tigers baseball games because of higher ticket prices or
maybe a higher number of losses compared to last year.
Who cares and what is their point? People still went to
baseball games. People still went on vacation and people
still enjoyed boating.
A great example of growth in boating is the large jump
in the number of registered canoes and kayaks that Ohio
has been experiencing. According to statistics compiled
by the Ohio Division of Watercraft, canoe and kayak
registrations together increased from 44,198 in 2000 to
70,279 in 2007, or 59 percent! These vessels are
grouped together and accounted for 17 percent of all
415,562 watercraft registered in the Buckeye State in
2007. The watercraft agency expects the trend will
continue in 2008 and 200 9 as paddle sports offer an
affordable opportunity for people to become active in
boating. What has been heard “on the street” and seen
on Ohio roadways are a growing number of newly purchased
canoes and kayaks. Officials at Gander Mountain
indicated that canoe and kayak sales in Ohio appeared to
be very good through the first half of 2008, but did not
have any specific figures to release.
The Ohio Division of Watercraft also continues its work
in expanding the number of designated Ohio Water Trails
that initially included the Muskingum River in southeast
Ohio, the Kokosing River in north-central Ohio and the
eastern portion of Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay in northwest
Ohio. The Ohio Water Trails program represents a
coalition of local community partnerships which work
with ODNR to seek water trail designation. Once
designation is attained, an Ohio Water Trail then
becomes the focus of greater user interest among
paddlers which may result in future development of
improved waterway access for paddlers.
On a separate note, as part of the 30th Governor’s Fish
Ohio Day activities held July 7, Governor Ted Strickland
signed the Great Lakes Water Compact during a ceremonial
signing held at the historic Marblehead Lighthouse.
With the signing, Ohio became the seventh state among
the eight Great Lakes states to formally adopt the
Compact which had been successfully developed and
written in cooperation with the Canadian provinces of
Ontario and Quebec. Pennsylvania lawmakers had yet to
ratify the Compact as of early July before it is sent to
the U.S. Congress for formal federal approval. The
multi-state and international agreement is designed to
protect Great Lakes water resources and ensure their
wise use well into the future. The Great Lakes and
their related bodies of water (i.e. Lake St. Clair,
Sandusky Bay) comprise the largest system of fresh water
on Earth and contain in excess of six quadrillion
gallons of water, or approximately 20 percent of the
total fresh water resources on the planet. The total
surface area of the Great Lakes is 94,000 square miles,
which is equal to about one-fourth of the size of
Ontario. If all the water in the Great Lakes were to
cover the lower 48 U.S. states, it would do so to an
average depth of 9 1⁄2 feet!
Written by: John Wisse, Division
of Watercraft
