Youngstown Daily Legal News

Lakes to be crowded this summer as number of boaters grows

ELISSA COLLOPY
Special to the Legal News
Published: May 25, 2016

Boaters are gearing up for a warm summer, and the number of boaters in Ohio is on the rise.

Ohio is home to more than 413,000 registered boats, ranking eighth in the nation for the number of boaters.

In Franklin County alone there were almost 30,000 boats registered in 2015 compared to 1,000 less the year before, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

That is the largest jump in recent years and is expected to increase again this year.

Ohio also ranks 18th in the U.S. for its boating activities, with more than $306 million in total sales of new powerboats, engines and trailers, along with sales of personal watercraft.

Most consumers start out with personal watercraft like paddleboards and kayaks due to their relative cheapness and availability at numerous outdoors and sporting goods stores.

“I just purchased a kayak because it was pretty affordable, it’s easily transported on my car and it gets me out onto the water,” said Justin Travis, a resident of Grandview. “I go out to Alum Creek a lot, it’s a nice area for it.”

Paddlesports are on the rise, setting a record for the number of participants. In 2015, 21.7 million Americans — 7.4 percent of the population — enjoyed paddling which is an increase of more than 3 million participants since the study began in 2010, according to American Canoe’s report.

Paddlers made an average of 7 outings each, with kayakers making the most outings.

With boating heads into its busy season, a campaign to promote safe and responsible boating will be kicking off May 21 through the 27.

National Safe Boating Week is designed to educate the public about life jackets and the importance of safe boating for all ages.

“For a life jacket to save a life, a person has to be wearing it, plain and simple. Wearing a life jacket is the easiest way to stay alive when things go wrong on the water,” said Mike Miller, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.

“If an accident occurs and people end up overboard, a life jacket will keep their heads above water and could save a life. Don’t just have your life jacket close by, wear it,” he said.

One popular local boating destination is in dry dock for the moment as dam reinforcement and bank enhancements are underway at Buckeye Lake.

Boaters and marina owners alike are both hoping for a Buckeye Lake project to be complete by June, in time to fill the lake back up for the late summer months.

ODNR department director James Zehringer announced a faster construction schedule so the lake could return sooner to a depth adequate for boating.

“It would be completely up to Mother Nature,” said Department of Natural Resources spokesman Matt Eiselstein. “It would depend on how much rain we get and how quickly.”

As for other places in the area to boat, kayak, canoe or paddleboard, there’s Alum Creek Reservoir, Salt Fork, Scioto Trail, Mohican Lake and the Ohio River.

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