Yachting Now Legal on Forest Hill Park Lake
As long as your yacht is human powered and under 13′ in length you can paddle around Forest Hill Park Lake and a few others in the city. Check out the press release from the city;
Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced today an enhancement to several city parks by allowing non-powered watercraft on three city park lakes. Beginning today, visitors will be allowed to boat on Shields Lake and Swan Lake in William Byrd Park and on Forest Hill Lake in Forest Hill Park . “I believe residents will enjoy boating on these city lakes as it highlights the aesthetic beauty of our city parks as well as aids in promoting fitness in our city,” said Mayor Jones. “A city’s greatness cannot be measured without including its parks and green spaces, and this added activity highlights the numerous amenities of the already great park system we have here in the city of Richmond . I would like to thank the city’s department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities for implementing this initiative which allows residents and visitors to our city, enhanced access to the city’s parks and lakes.” The use of non-powered watercraft provides park boaters the opportunity to view the beauty of city’s parks from a different perspective.
Paddling and rowing are activities that require the engagement of multiple muscle groups and which helps tone muscles and reduce body weight. Boaters should use caution as they enter their boats into the water and adhere to the following rules when boating in city lakes:
- Non-powered watercraft only (examples include canoes, row boats, sailfish boats, dinghies and kayaks). Inflated tubes are not allowed.
- Powered watercraft (jet skis, wave runners, electric motors, outboards, etc) are not allowed.
- No boats over 13 feet in length.
- No glass containers allowed.
- Lakes close at sunset and open at sunrise daily from April 1 to November 30. Lakes are closed at all other times.
- Persons under age 13 must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device.
- Watercraft must be carried to the shore or may be launched from designated areas. No vehicle trailers allowed.
- No diving or swimming is allowed.
- Boaters and passengers assume all risk.
Nice! Great job J.R. Pope, Linwood Seward, and all the fine folks at Parks & Rec.
Will we have lifeguards on duty?
Can we transport our craft to the lake via vehicles even if we can’t park them there or any other
provisions made for us senior citizens who have floaters but not the strength to transport them up and down those hills?
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tvnewsbadge – that is a good question with Forest Hill Park, and I’ll venture the answer must be no. Byrd Park doesn’t have as bad an issue wit that. I think Forest Hill Park also has more danger in that authorities would have a longer response time to rescue someone at the lake. Taking care is essential….
TV, if you read the post, “boaters and passengers assume all risk” means that there are no life guards. If you can’t carry your own boat, you’ll have to arrange for someone to help you. They’re providing the lake, you have to take care of anything else.
Yeah, I was just wondering. I thought the answer would be in the negative.
But it’s still food for thought and something the city might want to consider.
After all, the other city parks make provisions for folks not at the top of the physical food chain (I assume it’s required by law to do so) to enjoy the public areas.
And it’s not just the elderly either. I go down to the lake quite frequently and there are plenty of relative youngsters huffing and puffing on those hills.
Carrying 75 pounds of canoe could be a challenge to even younger bucks and buckettes.
A kayak/canoe roller is the answer. Don’t leave home without it.
http://www.rei.com/product/752710
We appreciate the Parks Director thinking of this, but maybe every park is not suited to every use. I think of Forest Hill Lake as more of a contemplative spot, rather than a very small boating experience. Just a few minutes away, at Byrd Park are several larger lakes more suited. But in J. R. Pope we have a parks director who thinks about parks, nopt just community facilities, and we can appreciate that, even if we pass on this particular idea.
Humm, but wouldn’t boating interfere with the commercial operations at Byrd Park?
But I agree that boating at the Forest Hill location shouldn’t be allowed until it’s made accessible to ALL citizens and proper provisions are made to insure the safety of
children and others who might take to the water.
Before they did this,they should have formed a commission or two to study it.
Sidebar… Sally Belle’s is providing the eats at Byrd Park. Good food but I find it odd buying the upscale and always delicious box lunches from young “dudes” instead of the refined old ladies at their Grace Street location.
I’m only guessing but I think that, strictly speaking, FHP meets ADA requirements for accessibility.
Considering that boating would be a Bring-Your-Own-Boat activity, as it is in JRPS, then citizens should assume the risk is their own and not the City’s.
Well, just because something meets the minimum requirements doesn’t make it right.
Just because someone is up in years doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy some good clean fun.
Evidence? They had a series of boat races when they rededicated the lake awhile back, and the many participants up in years certainly equaled those of lesser age not only in numbers but in enthusiasm.
It’d be a shame if these people, who worked so hard to develop this lake, were not able to reap the benefits because “strictly speaking”.