Sweetwater Fishing Forums

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nativeman on December 26, 2012, 12:03:02 PM

Title: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: Nativeman on December 26, 2012, 12:03:02 PM
On other forums and in the Queensland Times, there has been discussion from the local Liberal Party member that power boats should be allowed on Lake Wivenhoe for recreation purposes and speed boat racing. There has also been discussion on other forums that members of the Somerset and Wivenhoe stocking group would be in favor of this move.

My opinion, there is Somerset up the road, why do we possibly need another dam for ski boats, jet skis and the like to terrorise people fishing, sailing or paddling a kayak???

Discuss please...

Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: Binder on December 26, 2012, 12:29:43 PM
Why not?
Wivanhoe is so big and open, in my opinion fishing it from an electric boat is dangerous in summer, to easy for a storm to get up and your trapped a long way from home.

I'd back it for Lenthalls style use - 6 knot limit, 4 stroke under 60hp engines only. Then your average Joe could go for a fish in reasonable safety.

Leave Somerset as the unrestricted waterway  for speed trials, nongs in skeeters and ski boats.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: Sweetwater on December 26, 2012, 01:12:24 PM
Somerset & Wivenhoe Fish Stocking Assn have, in the past made submissions regarding recreation use on Somerset & Wivenhoe. These decisions are made by a democratic process by members in attendance. If you're not a member, and you're not there to offer input during discussions, you're opportunity is lost. A lesson for those who don't get involved in their own fishery decisions.




Personally, I've long supported an increase in either:
- access points, and/or
- limited powered boating

Eg. No restriction on boat/motor size but dead slow troll in all bays, 15 knots maximum on open waters of main basin.  No skiing, no lake lice,
Ability to close lake for selected events like kayak convention, international BASS tournament (open speed limit), Wind Jockey (sailing) Event, Triathlon or F1 boat race.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: gordo on December 26, 2012, 03:14:00 PM
keep it the way it is !! if you want to sniff petrol head north where its common
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: aussiebasser on December 26, 2012, 03:46:22 PM
I believe, and always have believed that Wivenhoe should be opened up to more access.  This is the best Bass Fishing lake in the country, and yet the majority of the lake is inaccessible..  It requires either a speed limit or a horsepower limit and 4 stroke only access.  No need for speed and horsepower limits, that'd be like having a 60k limit and only allowing 4 cylinder cars to drive there.  Open access would see the available infrastructure overloaded.
Allowing skiing would see Logan Inlet dangerous.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: BillyBass on December 26, 2012, 04:24:55 PM
Geeez, these guys in parliament and in the council are really out of touch. This is one of the few places I know I can go and have a paddle/fish in my yak knowing I don't have the risk of some idiot screaming past on a jetski or over powered tinnie!! 

Can someone please tell me that this is just pure speculation??  Otherwise it is time to get my angry pen out and put something to them.


Billy
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: elops on December 26, 2012, 05:37:03 PM
I would like to see powered access, open powered access ...........................................
Why only 4 stroke? should be 3 star ultra low emission or some such standard.
Annoys me that some bloke can put around Lenthals with a 15 year old Honda yet my E tec or other modern low emission 2 stroke is not allowed.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: Matty on December 26, 2012, 05:40:00 PM
I'm also of the mind it is fine how it is.  I don't get much fishing in at the moment due to being yakless for hopefully not to long but wivenhoe is only a 20minute drive so used to frequent there a lot,  I really think that it would be a shame to open it up to motorised boats seeing its really the only open water you can goto and have a nice relaxing time not watching your shoulder for a jetski or have to ride the waves of a powerboat, I've done some pretty big paddles in that joint I remember one particular branch creek to platapus cliffs another was when I put out from hamon cove and meet a few other yakkers ended up more towards logans inlet then lost my bearings heading back it took me a while but figured the place out eventually,  it is a vast lake but thats the joy of it as a yaker you always check the weather and wind before you go so you know what your in for and head out for a big paddle, I would be more than happy to get involved in Somerset & Wivenhoe Fish Stocking Assn more info on it would be great?
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: gordo on December 26, 2012, 07:21:25 PM
I believe, and always have believed that Wivenhoe should be opened up to more access.  This is the best Bass Fishing lake in the country, and yet the majority of the lake is inaccessible.. .
this may be why the dam is such a great fisherery, because u cant motor to every part of the dam @ 90 kmh , put in a bit of work and enjoy the rewards.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: StevenM on December 26, 2012, 07:26:10 PM
If it came to a vote mine would be pretty simple

Nope
Nadah
Nil
No
nopperz
zip
zilch
nada
hell naw!
nein
negative
disagree
nosireebob
never
nyet

or pffftt

Pleanty of places to ski / use power boats / jet skis and the like.

How many places are there to paddle without risk of Richard Head not paying attention and running you over.

Play the game, look at the weather, understand the risks of going out on the Dubba.

How would you police limitations on a dam that size. They cant control Cresbrook or Lenthals so how the pluck are they gunna police dubba.

Tell ya the truth it even sh!t me to tears a couple of weeks ago when the sailing club had an event out there and they were running around in the tinny for NO reason. Course was marked, no one in trouble.

As far as access goes, well to me yep that is another story. The general public have been locked out of too many places that have been given a lease by SEQ water. Its no going to change. These places have basically been run down now and we all know there is no money in the guberments kitty and the local council aint gunna pay for it. Its SEQ water problem (gubernment no mater what) no its the councils problem..and around it goes.

Just my 0.02 cents worth and you can round that down if you like.

Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: dinodadog on December 27, 2012, 05:59:59 AM
When you talk powerboats the problem is always the same. If you say 4 stroke 4hp you upset all the people with bigger boats, if you say 4 stroke only, you upset all the 2 stroke boat owning people. Its hard to get a happy mediam all round, you cant please everyone no matter how hard you try.
  A few more access points in the remote areas of the dam would be OK also, but then you need more people to police what goes on there.

Dino
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: Binder on December 27, 2012, 07:42:51 AM
I suppose its academic for me, I'm not towing my boat over Mt Glorious, I manage to glaze the brakes on the falcon with no trailer as it is !

Just be nice to see some pressure taken off Sommerset, which I can access in about an hour's drive.

The fabled SEQ Water management plans for the dams might come in time for my grandchildren to have a fish before they snuff it, but I'm not holding my breath!
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: joey1247 on December 27, 2012, 09:38:17 AM
no no no , have u seen what petrol motors do to the water ? on th corner of dam near spit at sommerset there is oil and metalic sediment all around the bank , metal dust from motor wear , and oil from leaking motors , spill fuel , atrouisious .
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: BillyBass on December 27, 2012, 09:42:17 AM
Keep the lacquer heads at somerset dam don't let them come to wivenhoe.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: rayke1938 on December 27, 2012, 10:55:24 AM
I would like to see powered access, open powered access ...........................................
Why only 4 stroke? should be 3 star ultra low emission or some such standard.
Annoys me that some bloke can put around Lenthals with a 15 year old Honda yet my E tec or other modern low emission 2 stroke is not allowed.
Steve your etec is allowed here is copy of rulkes from Wide Bays website.
 Boating restrictions
A new boat ramp has been installed and powerboats are allowed on Lake Lenthall but speeds and horsepower are restricted. Visitors should be aware of the low emission outboard engine policy for Lake Lenthall which allows only 2 and 3 star rated engines up to 60hp. Low emission engines include:

    All 4-stroke engines up to 60 horsepower
    Low emission direct injection 2-stroke engines up to 60 horsepower

The speed limit on the lake is strictly 6 knots.

From memory think that the 60hp max was set to accommodate a certain local guide who was also acting ranger when the limits were set.
Although i fish big w infrequently I would be in favor of allowing petrol motors with limitations similar to Lenthalls. If there had to be access given jet skis and water skiing and  unrestricted hp motors maybe they could be given a dedicated area and also a dedicated area set aside for fishing and sailing activities.
 Cheers
Ray
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: mackdonalds on December 27, 2012, 11:40:16 AM
I like the idea of having different area's on the dam for different power boats - bigger faster boats in the main basin area, 4 knot speed limit in all bays/ near shore/ boat ramps etc and have the top half or back of the dam as a no skiing zone and max 6 or 8 knot's.I'm also in support of more access around Wivenhoe and not just for kayaks and canoe's, boats as well. I think all large dam's should be allowed to have this and some of the small one's be a max 4 knot's only. Some of the reason's I have why power boats are not allowed on the dam (feel free to add the the list) make's me shake my head....

It will hurt the water quality
The boats will spread/bring pest weeds to the dam
It has lung fish and their protected
There are too many stumps left in there
The dam is to big to police

I'm sure there is a few more, just cannot remember them...
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: aussiebasser on December 27, 2012, 05:03:13 PM
The pollution concerns are a bit of a joke.  Every drop of water out of Somerset goes into Wivenhoe, there is no magic filter that cleans the oil out at the Somerset wall. 
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: rick.heaton on December 30, 2012, 12:06:18 PM
at cresbrook dam dam you can have any size and any type of motor but there is a 8 knot limit and a no swimming policy,boats do 25 knots and 2 people have drowned there,at cooby dam electric motors only its only a small dam but 1 person drowned after turning his boat over in wind gust people seen him go over bit coundnt get to him in time to help because of haveing electric motor only,i fish sommerset a lot and i get runover alot by wakeboarders looking for smooth water wright where i am fishing,so it is hard to please everyone if they open up to motor boats,but if they do they should look at the way cresbrook is handled.
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: StevenM on December 30, 2012, 01:01:02 PM
at cresbrook dam dam you can have any size and any type of motor but there is a 8 knot limit and a no swimming policy,boats do 25 knots

How can it be so?

They cant police a small dam like Cressy?

It will be OK in Wivenhoe, everyone will do the right thing. Right.

Open the doors

Let them come

It will be OK
Title: Re: Wivenhoe Dam, Power Boat Access???
Post by: Sweetwater on December 30, 2012, 01:11:02 PM
I spent a bit of time up on the mountains overlooking Cressbrook & watched alot of boats going up and down the lake. While I didn't have a speed gun, I didn't see anyone going balistic, have some video here, will post it up.

IMHO, a lack of enforcement of laws should never be used as a reason to restrict things. That's like banning tissues because someone might drop one on the ground. (which is an ofence). I recon if a government body is good enough to make a law, then they should back it up with a commitment to enforcement it or drop the law.

Here tis....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jblYTnGKOpo#ws (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jblYTnGKOpo#ws)

Direct link http://youtu.be/jblYTnGKOpo (http://youtu.be/jblYTnGKOpo)