HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — To the untrained eye, the Weeki Wachee River appears to be like stunning, gorgeous, and ideal.
However, look shut sufficient, and also you’ll spot indicators of injury that some imagine are brought on by guests who might or might not know they’re harming the river.
The as soon as luscious banks alongside the river proceed to erode. Timber are being undermined, and eel grass on the river backside is being trampled.
WATCH: Sheriff defends division’s enforcement of ‘polarizing’ guidelines on Weeki Wachee River
Sheriff defends division’s enforcement of ‘polarizing’ guidelines on Weeki Wachee River
A 2020 research by the Southwest Florida Water Administration District reached the identical conclusion: human recreation impacts the river’s well being over time.
So, in summer season 2023, at Hernando County’s request, the state authorised new guidelines for the Weeki Wachee. A number of miles of the river have been deemed a Spring Safety Zone. Because of this, boaters and paddlers can now not anchor their boats, tie them to bushes, and seaside them on the riverbanks.
Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis and his deputies have been implementing the foundations.
“This can be a very polarizing challenge. There should not too many individuals which might be ambivalent about it,” he stated.
“Our most important concern is life-safety points before everything. That’s primary,” Nienhuis continued. “After which, after all, we’re additionally involved in regards to the environmental influence.”
In line with the sheriff, a number of Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace deputies work the river every day and implement the Spring Safety Zone guidelines.
Nonetheless, some not too long ago questioned the enforcement due to newly launched numbers, which present simply six citations and 30 warnings have been written within the first 4 months of 2025.
In a Monday interview, the sheriff stated his deputies are attempting to strike a balanced method. Thus far, they’ve primarily issued verbal and written warnings as river recreationists — a lot of them vacationers — be taught the brand new guidelines.
“Clearly, we go into the summer season months, and significantly, if we have now folks which might be repeat offenders, then clearly, FWC and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace will work collectively to verify these individuals are not flagrantly violating the regulation that they know is in place,” Nienhuis stated.
However how the foundations ought to be enforced, if in any respect, is one thing the neighborhood remains to be wrangling with, which was evidenced by a Monday night time assembly of the Hernando County Waterways Advisory Committee. The room was stuffed with differing opinions.
John Prout, who lives alongside the river and has constructed a following as “River Daddy” on TikTok, thinks the Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace is already writing too many tickets.
“I don’t assume there ought to’ve been even one written,” he stated.
Marousa Placiotis Rodriguez thinks deputies are doing job as phrase will get out on the brand new guidelines.
WFTS
“It’s not going to be taught in a single day, so they’re doing their finest,” she stated. “I’m watching them.”
She stated her crime watch group helps to teach the friends to the river by reaching out to short-term leases and different strategies.
“It’s an academic factor,” she stated. “You must begin there.”
Pam Napp, nevertheless, want to see extra enforcement of the foundations sooner.
“If it’s a rental vessel, then go to that clothing store and ask them, ‘Hey, may you please assist us, you understand, implement this by educating folks?’” stated Napp, a stand-up paddleboard teacher who owns Weeki SUP, an eco-tour clothing store on the river.
Napp stated she stands by the Spring Safety Zone and its function.
“It doesn’t wreck your enjoyable one iota,” she stated. “The truth is, it makes it higher, as a result of we’re going to have a extra stunning river sooner or later.”
A deputy who spoke on the committee assembly stated deputies implementing the Spring Safety Zone guidelines face sure limitations and issues.
Since many kayakers and swimmers don’t deliver their wallets, it may be arduous to quote violators. Jet skis utilized by deputies should not geared up with computer systems, which additionally complicates enforcement.
He stated the foundations themselves are additionally ambiguous in some areas.
Although implementing the foundations could also be a sophisticated stability to strike, Sheriff Nienhuis stated his marine deputies will use their widespread sense as finest as attainable.
“I feel my deputies get very, excellent at utilizing good widespread sense, however there are at all times going to be folks on either side that assume we must always both do kind of,” he stated.
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