Florida Administrative Code › 68 - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION › 68C - Manatees › Chapter 68C-22 - THE FLORIDA MANATEE SANCTUARY ACT › Section 68C-22.016 - Pinellas County Zones

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) The
				Commission hereby designates the waters within Pinellas County, as described
				below, as areas where manatee sightings are frequent and where the best
				available information supports the conclusion that manatees inhabit these areas
				on a regular or periodic basis. The primary purpose of this rule is to protect
				manatees from harmful collisions with motorboats and from harassment by
				regulating the speed and operation of motorboats within these designated areas.
				A secondary purpose is to protect manatee habitat. In consideration of
				balancing the rights of fishers, boaters, and water skiers to use the waters of
				the state for recreational and commercial purposes (as applicable under Section
				379.2431(2)(k),
				F.S.) with the need to provide manatee protection, the Commission has examined
				the need for limited lanes, corridors, or unregulated areas that allow higher
				speeds through or within regulated areas. Such lanes, corridors, or areas are
				provided in those locations where the Commission determined they are consistent
				with manatee protection needs.
(2)
				The following year-round and seasonal zones are established, which include all
				associated and navigable tributaries, lakes, creeks, coves, bends, backwaters,
				canals, channels, boat basins, and other waterways unless otherwise designated
				or excluded. Coordinates used in the descriptions of zone boundaries are
				referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) using the HARN Florida
				GDL Albers projection.
(a) Slow Speed
				(year-round) -
1. Anclote River, Tarpon
				Bayou, Spring Bayou Area: All waters east of a line that bears 46° from a
				point (approximate latitude 28° 9' 44.0'' North, approximate longitude
				82° 46' 47.6'' West) on the southern shoreline of the Anclote River (about
				800 feet southeast of North Florida Avenue), and west of a line that bears
				346° from a point (approximate latitude 28° 9' 24.4'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 45' 51.6'' West) on the southern shoreline of the
				Anclote River (about 100 feet west of Roosevelt Blvd.), including all waters of
				Spring Bayou and Tarpon Bayou north of a line that bears 270° from a point
				(approximate latitude 28° 8' 45.6'' North, approximate longitude 82°
				45' 43.4'' West) on the shoreline on the south side of the boat ramp at Craig
				Park, but excluding Kreamer Bayou and associated waters west and south of a
				line that bears 358° from a point (approximate latitude 28° 9' 26.2''
				North, approximate longitude 82° 46' 12.0'' West) on the northern shoreline
				of Chesapeake Point to the southern shoreline of the peninsula that contains
				Bayshore Drive and North Casamia Circle;
2. Clearwater Area:
a. All waters, including the Intracoastal
				Waterway channel, north of the centerline of the Memorial Causeway (SR 60)
				Bridge, south of a line that bears 283° from a point (approximate latitude
				27° 58' 29.8'' North, approximate longitude 82° 48' 11.3'' West) on the
				western shoreline of the peninsula that contains the Seminole Street boat ramp
				to the eastern shoreline of the island that contains Windward Island Road, and
				east of a line that bears 188° from a point (approximate latitude 27°
				58' 23.7'' North, approximate longitude 82° 48' 39.6'' West) on the
				southern shoreline of the island that contains Windward Island Road to the
				northern shoreline of the Memorial Causeway; and,
b. All waters east of the marked channel of
				the Intracoastal Waterway, north of the aforementioned line that bears 283°
				from the western shoreline of the peninsula that contains the Seminole Street
				boat ramp and south of a line that bears 271° from a point (approximate
				latitude 27° 59' 20.5'' North, approximate longitude 82° 47' 55.9''
				West) on the shoreline of the peninsula on the south side of Stevenson Creek
				that contains Venetian Point Drive;
3. Narrows Area: All waters outside of the
				marked channel of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) south of a line that bears
				58° from a point (approximate latitude 27° 51' 52.3'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 50' 49.7'' West) on the western shoreline of The
				Narrows (about 7340 feet south of the Indian Rocks Beach/Walsingham Road (SR
				688) Bridge, running through green ICW channel marker 27), and north of a line
				that bears 83° from a point (approximate latitude 27° 51' 3.3'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 50' 32.4'' West) on the western shoreline of The
				Narrows (about 350 feet south of green ICW channel marker 19);
4. Johns Pass Area: All waters of Johns Pass
				and Boca Ciega Bay (excluding the residential canals and side waterways of
				Madeira Beach and Treasure Island) east of the centerline of the Gulf Boulevard
				(SR 699) Bridge, and west of the following line: Begin at a point (approximate
				latitude 27° 47' 43.5'' North, approximate longitude 82° 46' 49.5''
				West) on the eastern shoreline of the island that contains Johns Pass Avenue,
				then bear 96° for a distance of approximately 2, 310 feet to a point
				(latitude 27° 47' 41.0'' North, longitude 82° 46' 23.9'' West) in the
				water northeast of Little Bird Key, then bear 135° for a distance of
				approximately 3, 095 feet to another point (approximate latitude 27° 47'
				19.1'' North, approximate longitude 82° 45' 59.8'' West) in the water, then
				bear 202° to the line's terminus on the northeastern shoreline of the
				peninsula that contains 126th Avenue;
5. Boca Ciega Isle Area: All waters south of
				55th Avenue, north of 41st Avenue, and west of the following line: Begin at a
				point (approximate latitude 27° 43' 51.4'' North, approximate longitude
				82° 44' 11.9'' West) on the southeastern shoreline of the peninsula that
				contains Pali Way, then bear 170° for a distance of approximately 2, 400
				feet to a point (approximate latitude 27° 43' 28.0'' North, approximate
				longitude 82° 44' 7.6'' West) in the water northwest of Boca Ciega Isle,
				then bear 123° for a distance of approximately 290 feet to another point
				(approximate latitude 27° 43' 26.4'' North, approximate longitude 82°
				44' 4.9'' West) in the water, then bear 50° for a distance of approximately
				2510 feet to a point (approximate latitude 27° 43' 42.1'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 43' 43.2'' West) in the water north of Boca Ciega
				Isle (west of red Intracoastal Waterway channel marker 30), then bear 155°
				for a distance of approximately 2, 430 feet to a point (approximate latitude
				27° 43' 20.1'' North, approximate longitude 82° 43' 32.1'' West) in the
				water (west of green Intracoastal Waterway channel marker 29), then bear
				198° to the line's terminus on the eastern shoreline of the peninsula that
				contains 41st Avenue;
6. Broadwater
				Area: All waters in the canal system between 42nd Avenue South and 46th Avenue
				South, east of a line that bears 12° from a point (approximate latitude
				27° 43' 50.9'' North, approximate longitude 82° 41' 33.8'' West) on the
				shoreline of the peninsula that contains 45th Street South; and all waters of
				the canal system between 48th Avenue South and 49th Avenue South, east of a
				line that bears 191° from a point (approximate latitude 27° 43' 30.1''
				North, approximate longitude 82° 41' 40.6'' West) on the shoreline of the
				peninsula that contains 48th Street South;
7. Indian Key, Frenchman Creek Area: All
				waters of Frenchman Creek; and all waters north of Indian Key and a line that
				bears 66° from a point (approximate latitude 27° 42' 16.0'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 41' 5.3'' West) on the eastern shoreline of
				Indian Key to a point (approximate latitude 27° 42' 22.1'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 40' 49.7'' West) on the eastern shoreline of Boca
				Ciega Bay, south of 62nd Avenue South and a line that bears 81° from a
				point (approximate latitude 27° 42' 38.3'' North, approximate longitude
				82° 41' 33.2'' West) on the eastern shoreline of the peninsula that
				contains 62nd Avenue South, and east of a line beginning at a point
				(approximate latitude 27° 42' 8.4'' North, approximate longitude 82°
				41' 52.5'' West) in the water approximately 120 feet west of Indian Key, then
				bearing 15° for a distance of approximately 1350 feet to a point
				(approximate latitude 27° 42' 21.2'' North, approximate longitude 82°
				41' 48.4'' West) in the water, then bearing 355° to the line's terminus on
				the southwestern shoreline of the peninsula that contains 62nd Avenue South,
				excluding those water within 200 feet of said peninsula west of a line that
				bears 150° from a point (approximate latitude 27° 42' 37.1'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 41' 34.1'' West) on the southern
				shoreline;
8. Fort De Soto Area:
				All waters of Mullet Key Bayou and associated waters east and north of Anderson
				Boulevard, west of Pinellas Bayway South, and south of a line that bears
				358° from a point (approximate latitude 27° 38' 36.4'' North,
				approximate longitude 82° 43' 52.5'' West) on the northern shoreline of
				Mullet Key to a point (latitude 27° 38' 39.2'' North, longitude 82° 43'
				52.5'' West) in the water then bears 85° to a point (approximate latitude
				27° 38' 42.2'' North, approximate longitude 82° 43' 5.6'' West) on the
				western shoreline of Madelaine Key (southwest of the boat
				ramps).