The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has postponed action on proposed boating speed rules for a 1.25-mile mile stretch of the Caloosahatchee River.

The area between day markers 93 and 99 in the Lee County section of the river currently is a manatee slow-speed zone for boaters, except in the channel where boats can legally travel 25 mph. As a consequence, large and small boats tend to remain in the channel, causing potentially dangerous congestion, especially on weekends and holidays. In addition, law enforcement officers are unable to stop and board speeding vessels in the area because of violent wakes created by the heavy boat traffic.

The Lee County Commission recently requested the FWC enact a slow-speed rule for the channel to improve boater safety. The FWC instructed its staff to accommodate the county commission's request by drafting a rule to establish a boating safety slow-speed zone for the channel for 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays but allowing boaters to travel at 25 mph at other times.

Meanwhile, however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established that section of the river, including the channel, as a slow-speed zone for the protection of manatees at all times. The proposed FWC speed zone would conflict with the federal agency's speed zone and be confusing to boaters, so the FWC decided not to consider the proposed new boating safety rule until the direction of federal manatee speed zones is more clear.

FWC Commissioners, who have vowed not to enact boat speed regulations that would be more restrictive than necessary, cannot override the federal regulation, even though its researchers say their data do not justify a slow-speed zone in the channel for manatee protection.

The FWC plans to work with the federal agency to fine-tune manatee speed regulations in the future to ensure protection of manatees and preservation of boaters' rights to operate their vessels without unnecessary restrictions.