The National Park Service recently accepted public input on the final draft of the agency’s new Comprehensive River Management Plan. Over the next few weeks, St. Croix 360 will highlight comments submitted by a variety of river users and stakeholders. This series will close with comments from St. Croix 360 readers. Please send your submitted comments to greg@stcroix360.com if you want to be included.

The city of Marine on St. Croix has fewer than 700 residents, but it includes two miles of shoreline along the federally-managed stretch of the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. It is a popular gateway to the river for tourists, and many residents use the river frequently. There is a marina, a carry-in boat access, and the popular William O’Brien State Park and Somerset boat landings are nearby.

For these reasons and more, the city has a stake in the river’s management. The comments it submitted focus on six issues: Visitor pressure and congestion; Wake-related disturbance and damage; Excessive noise; Use of high intensity lights; Environmental damage from mud motor propellors; and Lack of compliance.

Visitor pressure

The city points out that the plan projects up to 40 percent more visitors for this stretch of river over the coming years, and the National Park Service claims that this can happen with negatively affecting river experiences. Meanwhile, the plan also calls for potential improvements to Somerset Landing, directly across the river from Marine, while largely ignoring William O’Brien State Park’s landing, all of which could cause increased usage.

“We ask that this matter be addressed with specific reference to the process by which NPS will measure, monitor and respond to the impacts of increased congestion,” the city wrote.

Wake damage

Boat wakes are a persistent problem on the river around Marine on St. Croix. Regulations have been vague and enforcement inconsistent. The city points out that many fishing and hunting boats transit (often at high speed) through the city’s stretch of river as they travel from boat ramps at Log House, William O’Brien State Park, and Somerset Landings to the confluence of the Apple River and the St. Croix Islands Wildlife Area.

“We support NPS’s intent to monitor, determine the level of compliance, and implement strategies to address non-compliance,” the city wrote. And, “asks that the CRMP consider the purpose of vessel traffic when developing wake management strategies.”

Excessive noise

While the National Park Service calls for low noise levels in nearby sections of land and water, the city says the proposal is too vague to be enforced. In particular, the city’s comments call out “mud motors,” which are specialized for use in very shallow waters and are favored by some anglers, hunters, and bow fishers. The city points out that these motors are extremely loud, audible for miles in some cases.

“The City of Marine asks that NPS’s proposal prioritize this issue by collecting and analyzing quantitative sound-related data to identify sources and levels of noise, thereby informing a soundscape management plan,” the city wrote.

High-intensity lights

Powerful lights used at night, primarily by bow fishers who are seeking fish in shallow areas, have disturbed the natural environment in the river around Marine.

“These high intensity lights are not directed down into the water but brightly light the entire river from bank to bank, starkly illuminating homes and disturbing wildlife,” the city wrote. “This is inconsistent with what would be reasonably acceptable within a residential neighborhood or a natural riverscape.”

The comment letter asks the NPS to add information about managing this problem to the new plan.

Environmental damage from mud motor propellors

In addition to the noise caused by mud motors as described above, the city is also concerned about ecological damage resulting from the increased popularity of the motors.

Impacts include “uprooting of aquatic plants, gas sheen on the water surface, increased water turbidity, suspension of bottom sediments, and disturbance of shoreline, watershed and aquatic animal life.”

The city asks the NPS to address the concerns, which the city says it has brought up with the agency before, to the Comprehensive River Management Plan.

Lack of compliance

Many of the policies and plans described in the Comprehensive River Management Plan build on decisions made for the NPS’s 2000 Cooperative Management Plan. But the city says that compliance with those rules is low, and enforcement scant.

“Our experience has been that NPS has had a limited presence on the reach of river in Marine,” the city writes. “The final draft CRMP includes several references to an intent to increase NPS presence and visitor interactions. In some cases, this is described as a future management strategy.”

The city closes by asking for greater enforcement presence and more discussion of compliance problems in the final Comprehensive River Management Plan.

“In summary, the City of Marine on St. Croix is supportive of the proposed CRMP,” the city wrote. “We appreciate the opportunity to provide input on issues that are important to our residents and look forward to partnering with the NPS to the betterment of the Lower St. Croix River Scenic Riverway.”

Coming up: River advocates and fishing guides weigh in. Reminder: St. Croix 360 readers are asked to send their personal comments on the plan to greg@stcroix360.com to be included in a future post.