Section 137-14-08 - Commercial OutfitterOrder of LaunchA. The department shall maintain and update as necessary an "Commercial Outfitter launch schedule" to protect public health and safety for the Kennebec River and West Branch of the Penobscot River, to be made readily available to the public on the Department's website or through the Whitewater Boating Office in Augusta. Commercial trips started at other than designated launch sites shall yield to trips started at designated sites. The order of launch for trips starting at Nesowadnehunk will apply when the second part of the trip is started in the afternoon at McKay Station.
The launch order on the KennebecRiver assumes a water release at Harris Station beginning by 10:00 a.m. Any release other than 10:00 a.m. will result in the launch times being rescheduled from the time the release actually occurs. This rule in no way obligates Brookfield Renewable to release water if system conditions dictate otherwise.
B. The Commissioner will designate a launch director for certain days who will have authority to supervise the order of launch and authorize changes in the order of launch when a company is absent, unable to launch in the appointed order, or fails to launch in a timely manner or the launch is delayed or disrupted by timing and level of releases, accidents, or other related factors. The launch director may establish a starting location where trips must wait fully prepared for their launch.C. The order of launch shall apply on allocated days, and at all other times when two or more outfitters contest the order in which to launch. Nothing in the launch order is intended to prohibit outfitters with later launch positions from utilizing an earlier position not used on a particular day. The filling of a vacant launch position shall be based upon the existing order of launch, allowing the next available company in the launch order to utilize the vacant position.D. No company may be at the launch site on the KennebecRiver with passengers more than 25 minutes before their assigned launch time.E. Companies must be completely away from the launch site and vicinity of Harris Dam on the KennebecRiver by the start of the next launch time.F. Companies assigned to a launch time may exchange positions by mutual consent but any company missing their launch time must wait until the next unused launch position.G. It shall be unlawful for any commercial outfitter, guide, or designated trip leader to fail to follow the instructions on launching provided by the launch director.H. It shall be unlawful to make multiple runs of a rapid or rapids which interferes with or postpones the order of launch.I. Non-commercial trips have priority and may launch before any commercial trip which has not begun to launch.J. Licensed Commercial Whitewater Outfitters renting commercial rafts to non-commercial users must cover up the outfitter's assigned raft display number and fleet number issued by the department.09- 137 C.M.R. ch. 14, § 08