The City of Destin is asking residents to submit photos and videos of boating incidents or safety concerns at Joe’s Bayou as officials work to determine whether a no wake zone ordinance is needed.
- The city needs documentation as it evaluates potential boating safety measures following ongoing complaints about unsafe vessel activity in the residential waterway. Residents should send submissions to publicinfo@cityofdestin.com and include specific dates, times and exact locations of incidents.
The request comes after the Destin City Council voted 7-0 in August to direct staff to research justification for establishing additional boating safety zones at Joe’s Bayou. Council members explored options ranging from slow speed zones to numerical speed limits after hearing from residents concerned about jet ski racing and dangerous boating behavior near homes and families using paddle boards.
“Once you come into Joe’s Bayou, it becomes more of a neighborhood,” said Councilwoman Teresa Hebert during the August 4 meeting. “You’ve got kids on paddleboards, trying to maneuver around there.”
The existing no wake zones in the two “fingers” of Joe’s Bayou have been in place since around 1998 and are grandfathered under current regulations. However, establishing new zones faces regulatory hurdles.
Michael Norberg, Okaloosa County Coastal Resources Manager, explained in August that modifying the existing zone could trigger a review by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, potentially leading to the existing permit being rescinded because statutes have changed since 1998.
- “The state’s pretty strict on limiting access to state waters essentially,” Norberg said. “So everything within the water is state waters.”
City Attorney Kim Kopp identified a potential alternative under Florida Statute 327.46, which allows municipalities to establish slow speed zones or numerical speed limits in areas meeting specific criteria, including blind corners or unsafe vessel traffic levels.
Councilman Dewey Destin suggested exploring speed limits as a solution. “Even if you established a speed of 15 miles an hour, you can’t really race jet skis or other vessels and not exceed that limit,” he said.
Captain Jason Fulghum of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed his department would have adequate manpower to enforce any new boating safety zones, noting they already have a marine unit officer who spends time in the harbor and writes citations in Joe’s Bayou.
The city says the more detailed information residents can provide about boating activity in the area, the better positioned Council will be to make an informed decision on whether additional safety measures are warranted.
One Response
I will submit photos of the jet ski impaled under my boat at my dock. The rider was lucky: he jumped off before impact. He was in shock, and lucky that we were home to pull him out of the water. We called for an ambulance for him. He then disappeared after retrieving his jet ski the next day. We were left with a damaged lift, stern of our boat and engines.
The new zone does not include the larger area of the Bayou where we are. Don’t shift the race course to this area, please!