N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 6 § 576.3

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 50, December 11, 2024

Section 576.3 - Prohibitions

No person shall launch, or attempt to launch, a watercraft or floating dock into a public waterbody unless the following reasonable precautions of (a) cleaning, (b) draining, and (c) treating have been taken:

(a) Cleaning. Cleaning shall include all of the following reasonable precautions:

1. inspecting the watercraft or floating dock and removing any plant or animal, or parts thereof, visible to the human eye, in, on, or attached to any part of the watercraft or floating dock, including livewells and bilges, the motor, rudder, anchor or other appurtenant, equipment or gear on the watercraft or floating dock that may come in contact with the waterbody; or the trailer or any other device used to transport or launch a watercraft or floating dock that may come into contact with the waterbody before launching into a public waterbody; and

2. any plants, animals, and parts thereof, including bait or other fish parts, visible to the human eye, shall be disposed by depositing these materials in a refuse receptacle where available or other receptacle designated for invasive species disposal, or if no receptacle is available, disposing the materials upland from the mean high water mark of the waterbody and in a manner to avoid contact by the material with the waterbody; and

(b) Draining. Draining shall include all of the following reasonable precautions:

1. draining water from the watercraft and the watercraft's motor, bilge, livewell, bait wells and ballast tanks and other areas of the watercraft capable of holding water before launching a watercraft into a public waterbody at a distance from the waterbody and in such a manner to avoid contact of the drainage with the public waterbody; and

2. for personal watercraft only, draining water from the cooling system of personal watercraft immediately following its removal from the water by running the motor out of water for five seconds, unless advised differently by the manufacturer and at a distance from the waterbody and in such a manner to avoid contact of the drainage with the public waterbody; and

(c) Treating. Treating shall include at least one of the following reasonable precautions:

1. Drying method. Treatment by drying must include one of the following steps:

i. Removing any boat cover and air dry watercraft, trailer or floating dock out of the water and in an area exposed to the sun or in a heated building for a minimum of five (5) days; or

ii. Storing watercraft and trailer or floating dock in subfreezing temperatures for a minimum of three (3) days; or

iii. If the drying methods described in subparagraph (i) or (ii) above and the rinsing methods described in paragraph 2 below are not available prior to launching, towel dry portions of the watercraft hull, engine, trailer and associated equipment that have been in contact with the waterbody prior to launching in another waterbody; or

2. Rinsing method. Treatment by rinsing must include one of the following steps:

i. If equipment is available at the launch site or other reasonably accessible location prior to launching, consistent with manufacturer's directions, spraying/rinsing hull and other external areas or equipment with high pressure (2,500 psi) hot water (140 degrees F for 30 seconds) at a location that does not drain into a waterbody; and if equipment is available at the launch site or other reasonably accessible location prior to launching, consistent with manufacturer's directions, rinsing/flushing water cooled motors with water for two (2) minutes at a location that does not drain into a waterbody; or

ii. If equipment is available at the launch site or other reasonably accessible location prior to launching, consistent with manufacturer's directions, rinsing/flushing the bilge area, live wells, bait wells and other water-holding compartments with hot water at a temperature of 140 degrees F for 30 seconds at a location that does not drain into a public waterbody. If water is being drained via a pump, flushing the bilge area, live wells, bait wells and other water-holding compartments with the hottest water for which the pump is rated; or

iii. If hot water is not available at the launch site or other reasonably accessible location prior to launching, thoroughly rinsing the boat hull and flush waterholding compartments with the warmest water available at a location that does not drain into a waterbody. Cold water is acceptable only if it is the only water available; or

3. Painting method to be used prior to launching into marine and coastal district waters only.

Prior to launching a watercraft or floating dock into a public waterbody within marine and coastal district waters, treatment shall include the application and maintenance of anti-fouling paint, in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, to watercraft hull, floating dock or any associated trailer or equipment being used to launch the watercraft or floating dock into marine and coastal district waters, and upon removing the watercraft from the water, inspecting the watercraft or floating dock and removing any attached plant or animals, or any part thereof, visible to the human eye.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 6 § 576.3

Adopted New York State Register May 25, 2016/Volume XXXVIII, Issue 21, eff. 5/25/2016