HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — To the untrained eye, the Weeki Wachee River appears lovely, beautiful, and excellent.
However, look shut sufficient, and also you’ll spot indicators of harm that some consider are brought on by guests who might or might not know they’re harming the river.
The as soon as luscious banks alongside the river proceed to erode. Bushes are being undermined, and eel grass on the river backside is being trampled.
WATCH: Sheriff defends division’s enforcement of ‘polarizing’ guidelines on Weeki Wachee River
Sheriff defends division’s enforcement of ‘polarizing’ guidelines on Weeki Wachee River
A 2020 examine by the Southwest Florida Water Administration District reached the identical conclusion: human recreation impacts the river’s well being over time.
So, in summer time 2023, at Hernando County’s request, the state accepted new guidelines for the Weeki Wachee. A number of miles of the river had been deemed a Spring Safety Zone. Because of this, boaters and paddlers can now not anchor their boats, tie them to bushes, and seashore them on the riverbanks.
Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis and his deputies have been imposing the foundations.
“It is a very polarizing subject. There should not too many individuals which are ambivalent about it,” he mentioned.
“Our foremost concern is life-safety points at the start. That’s primary,” Nienhuis continued. “After which, in fact, we’re additionally involved concerning the environmental influence.”
In keeping with the sheriff, a number of Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace deputies work the river every day and implement the Spring Safety Zone guidelines.
Nonetheless, some lately questioned the enforcement due to newly launched numbers, which present simply six citations and 30 warnings had been written within the first 4 months of 2025.
In a Monday interview, the sheriff mentioned his deputies try to strike a balanced strategy. To this point, they’ve primarily issued verbal and written warnings as river recreationists — a lot of them vacationers — study the brand new guidelines.
“Clearly, we go into the summer time months, and significantly, if we now have folks which are repeat offenders, then clearly, FWC and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace will work collectively to ensure these persons are not flagrantly violating the regulation that they know is in place,” Nienhuis mentioned.
However how the foundations needs to be enforced, if in any respect, is one thing the group remains to be wrangling with, which was evidenced by a Monday night time assembly of the Hernando County Waterways Advisory Committee. The room was filled with differing opinions.
John Prout, who lives alongside the river and has constructed a following as “River Daddy” on TikTok, thinks the Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace is already writing too many tickets.
“I don’t suppose there ought to’ve been even one written,” he mentioned.
Marousa Placiotis Rodriguez thinks deputies are doing a superb job as phrase will get out on the brand new guidelines.
WFTS
“It’s not going to be taught in a single day, so they’re doing their greatest,” she mentioned. “I’m watching them.”
She mentioned her crime watch group helps to teach the friends to the river by reaching out to short-term leases and different strategies.
“It’s an academic factor,” she mentioned. “You must begin there.”
Pam Napp, nevertheless, want to see extra enforcement of the foundations sooner.
“If it’s a rental vessel, then go to that clothing store and ask them, ‘Hey, may you please assist us, you realize, implement this by educating folks?’” mentioned Napp, a stand-up paddleboard teacher who owns Weeki SUP, an eco-tour clothing store on the river.
Napp mentioned she stands by the Spring Safety Zone and its objective.
“It doesn’t damage your enjoyable one iota,” she mentioned. “In truth, it makes it higher, as a result of we’re going to have a extra lovely river sooner or later.”
A deputy who spoke on the committee assembly mentioned deputies imposing the Spring Safety Zone guidelines face sure limitations and issues.
Since many kayakers and swimmers don’t convey their wallets, it may be exhausting to quote violators. Jet skis utilized by deputies should not geared up with computer systems, which additionally complicates enforcement.
He mentioned the foundations themselves are additionally ambiguous in some areas.
Although imposing the foundations could also be an advanced steadiness to strike, Sheriff Nienhuis mentioned his marine deputies will use their frequent sense as greatest as doable.
“I believe my deputies get very, excellent at utilizing good frequent sense, however there are at all times going to be folks on either side that suppose we must always both do kind of,” he mentioned.
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