Protecting Public Lands
Protecting our national parks, forests, and waterways from damage caused by motorized recreation and unsustainable energy development.

Personal Watercraft: Creating Havoc in their Wake

We all have a cherished memory of swimming in our favorite lake, walking along the beach at low tide, sitting at the edge of the river to listen to the birds sing. We flock to our waterways for peace and quiet, to swim and fish and sail, and to observe the wildlife that thrive along the shoreline and in the water.

If you have ever heard their high-pitched whine or witnessed riders harass birds and marine animals, you understand the harm that personal watercraft, also known as jetskis, can bring to our waterways and our enjoyment of them. Nearly 100,000 of these so-called "thrillcraft" are sold each year, and more than one million jetskis are currently in use in the United States. They move at speeds that can exceed 65 miles per hour, leaving in their wake a host of environmental and safety problems.

Most personal watercraft are powered by two-stroke engines which dump 25-30 percent of their fuel unburned into the water. A two-hour ride on a jetski can discharge up to four gallons of gas and oil into the water. At Lake Mead in Nevada, the Park Service estimates that on a busy weekend jetskis release 27,000 gallons of gas and oil into the park's waters. Unlike motor boats, jetskis are designed to maneuver into remote, shallow areas where a variety fragile plants and animals live. Studies have shown that jetskis harass waterfowl in their nesting areas, as well as marine mammals such as dolphins, seals, humpback whales, and manatees.

Personal watercraft are often a nuisance and a safety threat. According to US Coast Guard statistics, jetskis represent roughly 10 percent of all boats, yet are involved in approximately 30 percent of all boating accidents. Boaters, shoreline hikers, and wildlife enthusiasts complain that the noise from personal watercraft ruin their outdoor experience.

Through precedent-setting legal action, advocacy, and public outreach, Bluewater Network leads efforts to protect our National Parks and waterways from the damage caused by personal watercraft. We serve as a national clearinghouse of information on personal watercraft issues, and assist hundreds of individuals each year to protect their local waterways from rampant and irresponsible jetski use.

Read our Growing List of Victories

2004
Agreeing with a Bluewater Network request, the Fish and Wildlife Service finalized regulations that completely or partially ban PWC from 12 National Wildlife Refuges.

The National Park Service at Biscayne National Park grants a Bluewater Network counter petition, denying industry’s attempt to force jetskis into the park.

The Bluewater-sponsored California Quiet Water’s Act, took effect.

Pacifica City Council passed a Bluewater Network Resolution regarding the closure of a “donut hole” in the national marine sanctuary system.

Conducted water quality tests at the Benicia, California waterfront festival that revealed festival jetski races are a significant source of water pollution.

Announced first top ten list of best places to avoid jetskis. List is covered by relevant media such as Sail Magazine.

Defeated HR 3621 which would have reopened Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area to personal watercraft (PWC) operation.

Won a ban of jetski operation on all municipality waters in the town of Tiburon, California.

2003
Defeated industry sponsored legislation which would have extended jetski operation in several parks for two years.

Rallied over 500 Bluewater Network members and activists to send comments to the Bureau of Reclamation supporting a ban on personal watercraft and boats powered by two-stroke engines on Lake Berryessa near Napa, California.

Assisted Blaine County Commissioners in Idaho in a successful effort to ban jetskis from two county lakes.

California Governor Gray Davis signs Bluewater Network bill which changes the way police officers enforce boating noise standards.

Bluewater Network’s Sean Smith serves on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s jetski working group.

2002
Bluewater Network derails legislation in the California Assembly that would have penalized local jurisdictions for banning personal watercraft from their waterways.

Due to a Bluewater Network court settlement all About one national park close to personal watercraft use.

Bluewater Network successfully counters industry court challenge to Park Service jetski legal settlement.

Bluewater Network works with colleagues in Washington DC to defeat industry sponsored legislation which would have extended jetski operation in several parks for two years.

2001
Bluewater Network's precedent-setting jetski settlement is finalized. The terms of the settlement force the National Park Service to expand a ban on personal watercraft to all national parks by 2002.

Bluewater Network works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ban jetskis in California's Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary, creating the largest jetski-free zone in the United States.

Read the Following to Learn More