an associated annual fee based on the size of the boat. The permanent mooring permit must be renewed each year, and a yearly decal must be affixed to the permit. “We usually complete boat monitoring in June or July. It makes our job a lot easier when the permit is visible from the lake,” says Peterson. “We are looking for the permit number and the yearly decal which lets us know the boat registration fee has been paid.” If you are a Reston Association member but don’t live on the lake or don’t have access through your cluster, you can use a hand carried boat, but it must be taken off of the lake each day. A boat without permanent mooring authorization cannot be moored or stored on Reston’s lake shorelines. If you only want to rent a boat, RA manages paddleboat, canoe, kayak and rowboat rentals at Lake Anne Plaza from Memorial Day to the end of September on select days. All boats on Reston’s lakes must have either a permanent mooring permit or a general lake access permit. All handcarried boats such as kayaks,
canoes, paddleboats and paddleboards need an RA general access permit that corresponds to the current boat owner. (An additional cluster registration decal may be required if it is stored on a cluster’s common area.) Inflatable boats may be used if they have at least three separately inflated chambers. Sailboats and windsurfers are permitted on the lake, but must have a mooring permit if left on the water at an approved mooring location. If taken off the water after each use, then they will need a general access permit. General access permits are red, free to Reston Association members, and can be picked up at the Member Services Desk at the RA headquarters building, located at 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Proof of residency and boat size and information are required. General access and permanent mooring permits are essential to ensure boats get returned to their owners if they are found drifting about the lake. RA guidelines state, “Any boat or vessel found on the Common Area unattended
or drifting unattended on a lake or pond shall be considered abandoned.” RA will secure the boat and try to find the owner if possible. If after two weeks the owner is not found, RA staff will follow the abandoned boat protocol, which includes: removing the boat from the lake, reporting it found to the Police, trying to find the owner through the RA News email newsletter, discarding it if in poor or unsafe condition, and ultimately giving it away if not claimed after six months. Lastly, swimming is not allowed in Reston’s lakes. Reston has ample opportunities for swimming, with 14 outdoor pools available during the summer. The lakes are designed for stormwater management
and are not maintained or monitored for swimming. There are no lifeguards and often few people around during the daytime. Parents are reminded to discuss the hazards of lake swimming with their children. More information can be found in RA’s Boat Guide http://bit.ly/RestonBoating or by contacting RA at 703-435-6530. Nicki Bellezza is the Watershed Manager for Reston Association.
WWW.RESTON.ORG | APRIL 2017
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