§ 26-71. Boating restricted zones established.

(a)

Idle speed/no wake zones. No person shall operate a vessel in the following areas spatially defined as "idle speed/no wake zones" at a speed in excess of idle speed/no wake as defined in this chapter:

(1)

Summerland Key Channel: To include an area within 300 feet of shore along the southwest shore of Summerland Key, running contiguous with the shorelines of Summerland Key Cove and Summerland Cove Isles subdivisions.

(2)

Ocean Reef Club:

a.

Bayside: To include an area between 300 feet of shore along the northwest shore of North Key Largo running contiguous with the shoreline of Snapper Point subdivision, Ocean Reef Club, within the navigation channel that parallels the shoreline. Includes all internal canals of Snapper Point subdivision.

b.

Oceanside: To include all residential canals in Angelfish Cay, all residential canals in Channel Cay, and the portion of Little Angelfish Creek adjacent to Angelfish Cay.

(3)

Riviera Canal: To include the area of Riviera Canal, Key West, running from Cow Key Channel to the west, until it turns approximately 90 degrees to the north.

(4)

Jolly Roger Estates, Little Torch Key: To include an area running parallel to the eastern shore of Jolly Roger subdivision approximately 300 feet offshore and within the deep navigation canal parallel to the subdivision shoreline. To include the northernmost canal (running east-west) leading into the internal subdivision canals.

(5)

Sombrero Beach: To include the area at the west side of Sombrero Beach extending to the west side of the navigation canal, bounded at its southern extreme by Day Beacon No. 6.

(6)

Safety Harbor: To include an area contiguous to and extending approximately 300 feet from the residential shorelines of Safety Harbor and Toll Gate Shores, within the existing deeper parallel navigation channel.

(7)

Community Harbor: To include the area within the bounds of Community Harbor, Tavernier, Key Largo and extending in an arc from either side of the mouth, just outside the bounds of the Harbor.

(8)

Dove Creek: From the open water of the Atlantic/Hawk's Channel, the eastern section of Dove Creek to the western end of Dove Creek subdivision and including the Dove Creek subdivision residential canal.

(9)

Key West: Smathers Beach: To include an area parallel to the shore along Smathers Beach running 600 feet offshore.

(b)

Slow speed/minimum wake zones. No person shall operate a vessel in the following areas spatially defined as "slow speed/minimum wake zones" at a speed in excess of slow speed/minimum wake as defined in this chapter:

(1)

Snake Creek: To include the entire width of Snake Creek, from 100 feet south of the Snake Creek Bridge at U.S. Highway 1, to 100 feet north of the residential shoreline of the Venetian Shores subdivision, Plantation Key.

(2)

Vaca Cut: Extending the length of Vaca Cut, Marathon from the regulatory marker located approximately 1,250 feet south of the Vaca Cut Bridge to the regulatory markers located approximately 800 feet north of the Vaca Cut Bridge.

(3)

Whale Harbor: To include the area just north of the Whale Harbor Bridge and extending south the length of the Whale Harbor navigation channel to ATON number 1.

(4)

Boot Key Harbor and Sister's Creek: To include all waters within Boot Key Harbor including contiguous creeks and manmade canals, and including approaches to the Harbor from the West beginning at Day Beacon No. 7 and from the South, Sister's Creek beginning at Day Beacon No. 4.

(5)

Cow Key Channel: To include Cow Key Channel north of the Cow Key Channel Bridge at U.S. Highway 1 and ending at Day Beacon No. 11, south of the Cow Key Channel Bridge.

(6)

Adams Waterway: To include the entire area known as Adams Waterway, Key Largo, leading from Blackwater Sound on Florida Bay to Largo Sound on the ocean side of the Island of Key Largo.

(7)

All manmade canals: To include all canals of Monroe County within the Florida Keys, of less than 75 feet in width from shoreline to shoreline (as per F.S. § 327.46).

(c)

No motor zones. No person shall operate a motorized vessel in the following areas spatially defined as "no motor zones":

(1)

Harry Harris Park: To include an area parallel to the shoreline extending the length of Harry Harris Park, Tavernier, Key Largo extending to the west to include the five contiguous lots of Ocean Park Village and extending approximately 450 feet offshore.

(2)

Dove Creek and Dove Lake: To include the western end of Dove Creek from the west end of Dove Creek subdivision to the mouth of Dove Lake and the entire area of Dove Lake.

(3)

Whale Harbor Channel "Flats": To include the shallow areas adjacent to the northeast and southwest sides of Whale Harbor Channel on the ocean side of U.S. Highway 1. The approximate length of the zone extends from the Whale Harbor Channel Aids to Navigation Numbers 8 and 9 southeastward to Whale Harbor Channel Aids to Navigation Numbers 1 and 2. The width of the zone is defined, on either side of the channel, by the adjacent shallow areas and the small channels farther to the northeast or southwest of the Whale Harbor Channel. The zones are approximately triangular on either side of Whale Harbor Channel. The Zones will specifically exclude the areas known as the "Sand Bar," shallow, sandy areas immediately contiguous to Whale Harbor Channel on either side.

(d)

Motorboats prohibited zone. No motorboat as defined herein shall enter an area established by County Ordinance as "motorboat prohibited zone." The following area is a "motorboat prohibited zone":

Varadero Beach: To include an area within 300 feet of shore along the cove on the bayside of Key Largo, known as Varadero Beach at approximately mm 95.6 bayside and as shown graphically in the attached map. Kayaks, canoes and similar exclusively human powered vessels are allowed in this zone.

(e)

Viewable map of zones. Viewable maps of each of the zones noted in this section are available at the county office for marine resources.

(Code 1979, § 5.5-108; Ord. No. 031-2002, § 6; Ord. No. 006-2003, §§ 2, 3; Ord. No. 012-2003, § 1; Ord. No. 004-2003, § 1; Ord. No. 020-2003, § 8; Ord. No. 033-2003, § 1; Ord. No. 040-2003, § 2; Ord. No. 015-2004, § 3; Ord. No. 002-2011, § 2 ; Ord. No. 002-2018 , § 1)