Bill would remove Texoma from under Coast Guard’s thumb
Legislation has been introduced in Congress that will remove Lake Texoma from the U.S. Coast Guard’s regulatory authority.
Because Lake Texoma is designated as a “federal navigable waterway,” the U.S. Coast Guard governs Lake Texoma and earlier this year threatened to enforce its licensing regulations on fishing guides after a Kansas man drowned when a guide boat capsized.
Oklahoma has since passed legislation to license all fishing guides in the state, requiring CPR, first aid, boat safety training and a minimum $500,000 liability insurance policy.
But even though there is now state regulation, the U.S. Coast Guard plans to “maintain business as usual and press forward until we pass our bill to exempt Texoma from Coast Guard licensing authority,” said John Collison, state director for Sen. Jim Inhofe.
The bill could pass out of a Commerce sub-committee that handles Coast Guard reauthorization by the end of the month, Collison said.
However, it likely will be long after the August recess before it gets floor time, he said.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I agree The coast guard has no need being responsable for inland lakes as long as the state of Oklahoma and Texas maintain the safty regulations that the coast guard has maintained for a 100 years. A second taught On lake texhoma it is a shame to see what our state has let privite interprices do to the land ,cabins,golf corse and lodge I have used those facilities for over 55 years and they have produced jobs intertainment and pride Look at the cost of maintaining a train that goes to Dallas and tell me that that cost is justified and does it privide the servises that the lodge area did for the cost compairison ????????
I think it is high time the Coast Guard were removed from Lake Texoma. We have the Coast Guard, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Texas Wildlife(Fish and Game) as Law Enforcement on the lake.
Two years ago, on a dismally rainy Saturday, with not many boaters on the lake, my yacht was boarded by the Coast Guard. I was in a cove, on anchor. All guests were below in the cabin waiting out the rain.
The Coast Guard boarded my yacht, came below and asked to speak to the captain. I identified myself as such. We were questioned about all manner of things and treated very rudely. When I reminded the Coast Guard we were anchored in a cove and minding our own business, they threatened to arrest me. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol goes about their job in a professional manner. We don’t need the Coast Guard on the lake.