blake
Life Member
From the Iowa DNR:
DNR to Step Up Efforts Enforcing Dock Rules
DES MOINES – Compliance checks are taking place on public waters throughout the state. Citations for non-compliance with dock rules will be mailed to dock owners beginning this week in Iowa’s Great Lakes region and a similar effort will be taking place soon in Clear Lake as well as the rest of the state.
Once the citations are mailed out, dock owners will still have two weeks to come into compliance before facing any fines, according to DNR Law Enforcement Bureau Chief Lowell Joslin.
“We are much more interested in getting people into compliance than we are writing tickets, and we’re hoping that this is the last push some of the people need to get this done,” said Joslin.
New state dock rules went into affect in April of 2007 and the DNR has done inspections of the existing docks in the Great Lakes and Clear Lake areas this summer. Those two areas have the highest concentrations of private docks in Iowa.
The Great Lakes region has about 4,000 private docks and approximately 1,000 are still out of compliance. Most of the docks still out of compliance either don’t have the necessary permits and/or signage required under the rules.
Each of the dock owners in the Iowa Great Lakes that will be receiving citations have had warnings prior to the citations being issued, said Richard Jordet, a DNR district law enforcement supervisor.
Approximately 130 docks out of 750 are still out of compliance at Clear Lake. DNR staff has been trying to make personal contacts with those dock owners and have issued a few warning memorandums. The DNR will soon be issuing written citations to dock owners out of compliance in the Clear Lake area as well.
“When you look at the numbers, most of the dock owners at the Iowa Great Lakes and at Clear Lake are in compliance with the dock rules. It is a matter of fairness that those currently not in compliance be expected to comply with the new rules as well,” said Joslin.
For complete information on the Dock Rules and to download permit applications, go to: http://www.iowadnr.com/law/docks/index.html