Thought I would pass this info along.  I found it sorta amusing.

My buddy who was with me a couple weeks ago when we were told by the FWC officer about the enforcement of the outboard ban in ECWCD maintained canals went fishing a couple days ago and was approached by 2 ECWCD employees, one driving a spray truck and the other a pickup.  They started giving him a hard time because of the motor.  After about 5 minutes of insults etc.... they started saying they were going to call the sheriffs and FWC.  He said go right ahead, I will be here fishing somewhere, and took off trolling down the canal fishing (Using his electric motor to troll with).  The employees jumped back into their trucks and caught back up with him and started threatening him, something about throwing a rope with a hook on it onto his boat and dragging it up onto the bank of the canal using a truck.  He decided it was time to go at that point so he started up his outboard and took off.  they actually followed him back to the boat ramp and continued to give him a hard time, saying they called the sheriff's department that he needs to stay there so they can come and check out his boat.  they then told him they do know they can not give tickets but they can call the sheriff and they can and will check you and your boat out for all required safety equipment and licenses.  He told them he does not have to wait around just because an ECWCD employee told him to and he loaded his boat up and took off.  He is 100% legit with all required equipment and licenses, but did not want to go with this any further so he jumped in his truck and left.  Remember now he is in a truck towing a boat behind.  He went to Dunkin Donuts to get a coffee and they actually followed him, in the pickup and the spray truck, all the way to Dunkin donuts, then started following him home.  He decided he did not want them to follow him home so he started driving aimlessly on the streets between dunkin donuts and his house.  They finally figured out what he was doing so after about 5 minutes of following after leaving dunkin donuts they decided to break off their "pursuit".

Now I wonder, is this the new way ECWCD employees are going to approach when confronted with someone with a combustible engine on their boat.

Something else I do not understand is the ECWCD employees says that the reason for the ban is to keep the water clean.  In the very next sentence they stated that they recommend not to eat the fish caught because of the pollution in the water.  So is it clean or dirty water?  What is the real reason for the outboard ban???  All the canals flow into waterways that allow combustible engines so I am really at a loss as to the reasoning behind this ban. 

I really wish ECWCD would revisit the decades old ban on combustible engines.  And see if the reasoning for it still applies today.

TY waterboards3. I understand the giving him a hard time along the banks and at the ramp, but to follow him around in ECWCD vehicles once he did decide to leave, I think that is where they went too far.

I would be making every effort to find out who made these threats and take action. This is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. He needs to make a formal complaint.

Since these canals deposit into larger waterways that allow gas motors, how is a person suppose to know they are not allowed to follow these canals inland if there are no signs posted.

It sounds as if these employees overstepped their bounds.

Darnell, I edited your post to say "threats" not threads!

This is a very strange story. I do believe the employees went too far. All they had to do was write down the tag # on the truck and they could have tracked down the person and someone more intelligent could have explained why they don't want motorized traffic in the canals.

I think one of the reasons is the potential for canal bank erosion from boat wakes. Once boat traffic is allowed it will be hard to control. Canal bank erosion can be very expensive to repair, they have enough to do without fixing damage from free-wheeling boaters. Besides, thick of the problems and liability from water skiers! You can bet there would be some teenagers trying to ski in the bigger canals.

Van Helsing

I agree it is a strange story. I even asked him "Are you serious?" He says 100%.

Launch your boat at Davis Road in Riverdale, Go out to the river and head towards I-75. Head up the Orange River , eventually it will start narrowing down to where only a small boat can get through. Keep going and you will eventually enter into the Harns Marsh area. During the wet season you can cross over a weir to get into a water retention area behind The elementary school, or you can keep going and cross over a different weir and enter the Able Canal Water System. That whole area is outstanding fishing :) (For those that like to go fishing in canoes, kayaks etc...)

I do not literally drag my little boats over the weirs and/or dams themselves, I drag it around along the bank to the other side. Usually there is pretty green soft grass to slide the boats on.

I have even launched my little boat at the able canal where it crosses sunshine, drag it around the weir right there that separates Able canal from orange river, cross into the orange river and head out into the Caloosahatchee River to go Tarpon fishing. alot closer and quicker then driving all the way to Davis road then have to boat all the way down towards the Interstate. from Davis Road.

No where along any route I mention above do you see any type of warnings about motors or trespassing or whatever posted. I have seen canals with cables hanging over the water with signs hanging off them, but they are in Hendry County just East of the Lee/Hendry Line, right on the Caloosahatchee River.

So basically, how is someone who is from North Fort Myers who is fishing any given day up in the orange river supposed to know not to go any further if there is a combustible engine attached to their boat? Same with Hickey Creek?