In 2014, a West Virginia legislative rule established a no-wake zone at the Morgantown Waterfront.
The no-wake zone is “on the Monongahela River at the Morgantown waterfront beginning 500 feet downstream from the Westover bridge extending upstream to the Morgantown lock and dam,” according to West Virginia DNR Lt. Brad McDougal.
No-wake zones are essentially parking lots of the water — congested areas where speed is limited, he said.
Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli said she’s not sure who originally applied for it, but someone did and it was approved. Last August, the Mon River Revitalization Task Force discovered the rule establishing the no-wake zone, under Title 58, and brought it to Muzzarelli’s attention.
In order for the no-wake zone to be enforceable, it needs the proper signs and buoys, McDougal said.
The City of Morgantown is responsible for purchasing and installing those signs and buoys, under the legislative rule. The signs, Muzzarelli said, are easy enough. They can be made and simply placed at the Morgantown marina and the kayak launch off the Walnut Street landing.
The buoys are a bit more of a convoluted process, Muzzarelli said. She’s been working with McDougal, the Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard to answer a laundry list of questions about the requirements.
Because the Monongahela River is both a commercial and navigable river, the buoys have to be very specifically placed. There are specific anchoring requirements and chain length requirements that Muzzarelli is still waiting for clarification about. For example, how much does the anchor need to weigh? Does it need to be in a specific shape?
“It really has been going round and round,” Muzarelli said. “Every time you talk to somebody it continues to snowball.”
There isn’t a timeline on when the buoys — three as required by the legislative rule — will be placed, but Muzzarelli is working on it.
She said this project is a good example of the kind of impact people can make when they volunteer their time and expertise in the things that interest them.
The revitalization task force is not an official city board but an ad hoc group of people with an interest in the river.
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