(Cleveland) – Boaters who like to visit The Flats will have to be more careful of where they tie up this summer, as the U.S. Coast Guard has established safety zones along the Cuyahoga River, and the Old River near Whiskey Island.
Boats will not be able to moor in those 11 zones, which are marked on the map at this link in red. The areas were designated as they’re dangerous to smaller boats when commercial vessels are going past. Some commercial vessels on the Cuyahoga River are 790 feet long, and need every inch possible in order to make it up and down the river.
The safety zones extend 10 feet into the water, and were created in response to water vehicle collisions in the mid 1980s.
Anyone tying up a boat in any of these areas would have to obtain permission from the Coast Guard through the Captain of the Port, Sector Buffalo. The detailed list of safety zones on the Cuyahoga and Old Rivers is in this file.
(Photo Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)