This site provides six months of daily high and low water tide predictions for the U.S. tidal reference stations.

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The NC Wildlife Resources Commission Waterway Marking program includes the maintenance of over 1,200 buoys and navigational aids statewide for inland waterbodies including the Intracoastal Waterway. This program conforms to the US Coast Guard Uniform Waterway Marking System. NC Wildlife Resources Commission Boating Technicians help to maintain this project. NCWRC currently maintains buoys on 80 waterbodies.

Below you will see images and descriptions of buoys that NCWRC places on waterbodies across the state.

	Controlled Area Speed limit, no fishing, skiing, and diving.		Danger Buoy Warns of rocks, dams, and cables.		Boats Prohibited Buoy Boats keep out, rapids, swimming, and waterfalls.		No Wake Buoy Speed limit.
	Information Buoy Directions, distances and locations.		Safe Channel Buoy Pass between red & black/green buoys when traveling upstream.		Boat Mooring Designate boat parking areas.

ESTABLISHING LOCAL WATER SAFETY RULES

North Carolina General Statute 75A-15 governs the adoption of local water safety rules. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission [WRC] promulgates and enforces rules that establish zones and provide for the placement of buoys as informational markers in waters of the state. Such markers may indicate swimming or no wake zones, channel paths, restrictions on certain activities, and other designations.

Only a unit of local government (county or city), or an agency empowered by authority of local government (such as a marine commission) with jurisdiction over the area in question may request the WRC to promulgate local water safety regulations. Requests for most water markers must comply with the requirements outlined in Form D1. Steps for Rules on Water Safety listed below outline the procedure required for the establishment of water safety rules.

For examples of local government resolutions, click here for county and here for city.

Establishing a new water safety rule takes approximately 18 months. Click here to see an example timetable for rulemaking.

 

DESIGNATING LOCAL WATER SAFETY ZONES BY RULE

The basic steps are as follows:

1. The Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) must receive

a. A written request from the local governmental unit with territorial jurisdiction of the area in question requesting a local water safety regulation.
b. A certified copy of a resolution for the zone adopted by the local governmental unit. Public Notice of the local government's intention to adopt such a resolution is required.
c. A completed Form D-1 (Form D-1 designates the local governmental unit responsible for markers).
d. Two copies of a map of the waters in question showing the exact location and type of markers that are necessary for enforcement of the proposed rule.

* The application should state whether the funds for the No Wake Zone buoys will be provided privately or whether the local government in question is purchasing the markers.

**No Wake Zone buoys, which may be purchased at marine supply stores, must conform to the standards of the Uniform State Waterway Marking system. (Signs on land are not sufficient indicia for a no wake zone)

2. An investigation will be conducted by the Wildlife Commission's Enforcement Division to determine the basis of need for and advisability of the proposed rule.

3. If the Enforcement Officer's investigation indicates that the proposed rule is necessary to address a water safety hazard, the proposal is presented to the Wildlife Commission.

4. If the WRC approves the proposal, a public hearing will be scheduled and notice published, along with the proposed text of the Rule in the NCR. The WRC will receive public comment. When public comment has been duly considered and the determination is made to proceed, the text of the proposed rule is presented to the WRC for final adoption.

5. Following adoption, the permanent rule is submitted to the Rules Review Commission (RRC) for approval. If the RRC approves the rule, it usually becomes effective within a month of that approval.

Please note: Applicants from the coastal counties must obtain a Coastal Area Management Act [CAMA] permit from the Division of Coastal Management [DCM] in order to place a buoy in navigable waters there. (A no wake zone will not be enforced in the absence of a proper buoy marker. )

If, after investigation, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission authorizes a no wake zone for a coastal county, the applicant [county] must contact the DCM district manager to apply for such a “CAMA Major Permit. Please see http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/contact_dcm.htm for a list of the district offices and contact information for their district managers.

Any questions about this process should be referred to Betsy Foard at (919) 707-0013 or betsy.foard@ncwildlife.org.

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The DENR-Division of Water Quality provides the most current fish kill information with links to Department of Health and Human Services Fish Consumption Advisories, Division of Water Quality Counting and Response Procedures, Specific Event Descriptions and a printable Fish Kill Fact Sheet. For immediate assistance on closures or advisories, please call 1-888-823-6915 and for information about any released health warnings on North Carolina's waterways.

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Visit NCWaterways for coastal information for North Carolina.

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A "no wake zone" is an area within the waters of the state in which vessels are required to travel at "No wake speed," which means a slow speed that creates no appreciable wake. The WRC may only establish no wake zones in waters of the state where an investigation by a WRC enforcement officer demonstrates that water safety hazards exist.

Designating local water safety zones by rule details information on how to establish a "no wake zone."

EXISTING "NO WAKE ZONES"

Local government jurisdictions in which WRC has established "no wake zones" may be found in the North Carolina Administrative Code [NCAC] under title 15A, section 10F .0300.

The North Carolina General Assembly has established several no wake zones in local acts. These legislatively enacted no-wake zones are not listed in the NCAC.

For more information on "no wake zones," please contact Betsy Foard at (919) 707-0013 or betsy.foard@ncwildlife.org.

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