41-13-210. Riding on gunwales or bow decking prohibited; exceptions.
No person operating a motorboat shall allow any person to ride or sit on either the starboard or port gunwales thereof or on the decking over the bow of the vessel while underway unless such motorboat is provided with adequate guards or railing to prevent passengers from being lost overboard. Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that passengers or other persons aboard a motorboat cannot occupy the decking over the bow of the boat to moor the watercraft to a mooring buoy or to cast off from such a buoy, or for any other necessary purpose.
41-13-211. Buoys and markers; operation in marked restricted areas prohibited; exceptions.
(a) The commission shall regulate the type and use of watercraft on the waters of the state and the placement of buoys, markers or regulatory signs necessary to provide for the safety and welfare of the public. Watercraft operators shall operate watercraft in accordance with restrictions and regulations specified on the buoys, markers or signs. No waterway marker regulating watercraft use shall be placed on, in or near the waters of the state unless approval has been obtained in accordance with commission regulations.
(b) No person shall operate a watercraft on any water or within a water area which has been designated in accordance with commission regulation as a restricted area. This section does not apply in the case of an emergency, or to patrol or rescue craft.
(c) No person shall tie-off, moor or attach any watercraft to any regulatory buoy or waterway marking device.
41-13-212. Motorboat pulling skier to be occupied by at
least 2 persons; hours of operation; use of care; exceptions.
(a) No motorboat which shall have in tow or shall be otherwise assisting a person on water skis, aquaplane or similar contrivance, shall be operated or propelled in or upon any waterway, unless such motorboat shall be occupied by at least two (2) persons. Provided, that this subsection shall not apply to motorboats used by representatives of duly constituted water ski schools in the giving of instruction, or to motorboats used in duly authorized water ski tournaments, competitions, expositions, or trials therefor, or to any motorboat equipped with a wide angle rear view mirror.
(b) No motorboat shall have in tow or shall otherwise be assisting a person on water skis, aquaplane or similar contrivance from the period of one (1) hour after sunset to one (1) hour prior to sunrise. Provided, that this subsection shall not apply to motorboats used in duly authorized water ski tournaments, competitions, expositions, or trials therefor.
(c) All motorboats having in tow or otherwise assisting a person on water skis, aquaplane or similar contrivance, shall be operated in a careful and prudent manner at a reasonable distance from persons and property so as not to endanger the life or property of any person.
(d) No person shall operate or manipulate any vessel, tow rope or other device by which the direction or location of water skis, aquaplane, or similar device may be affected or controlled in such a way as to cause the water skis, aquaplane, or similar device, or any person thereon to collide with or strike against any person or object, other than a jumping ramp or in conjunction with skiing over a slalom course.
(e) The person required to be in a motorboat under subsection (a) of this section who is not operating the motorboat shall:
(i) Continuously observe the person being towed.
All watercraft shall carry or be equipped with safety equipment as prescribed by commission regulation. The commission may also require every person riding on watercraft operating on specified waters to wear commission approved safety equipment.
(a) The game and fish department law enforcement officers and any other peace officers of the state or any of its political subdivisions otherwise authorized by law may enforce this act and rules and regulations of the commission.
(b) For purposes of this section, any game and fish department law enforcement officer and any other peace officer may:
(i) Stop, halt, inspect or board any watercraft;
(ii) If there is probable cause to believe a watercraft and associated trailer are stolen, seize the watercraft and associated trailer. A defaced, altered, removed or destroyed vessel hull identification number (HIN) is prima facia evidence that the watercraft and trailer are stolen.
41-13-216. Penalties for violations; suspension of privilege to operate; operating while privilege suspended.
(a) Any person who violates or fails to comply with W.S. 41-13-207 through 41-13-212, 41-13-219 or 41-13-220(b) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200.00), imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days, or both, and may be refused the privilege of operating any watercraft on any of the waterways of this state for not more than two (2) years. Any person who violates W.S. 41-13-105, 41-13-111(a) or (b), 41-13-203, 41-13-204, 41-13-206 or 41-13-220(a) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both, and may be refused the privilege of operating any watercraft on any of the waterways of this state for not more than two (2) years.
(b) Any person who violates or fails to comply with any provision of this act for which no separate penalty is provided or a valid rule or regulation of the commission is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).
(c) Any person who operates any watercraft during the period when he has been denied this privilege under subsection
(a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), imprisoned not more than six (6) months, or both, and may be refused the privilege of operating any watercraft on any of the waterways of this state for not more than two (2) years.
The commission may regulate the holding of regattas, motorboat or other boat races, marine parades, tournaments or exhibitions. It shall adopt regulations concerning the safety of motorboats and other vessels and persons thereon, either observers or participants. Whenever a regatta, motorboat or other boat race, tournament or exhibition is proposed to be held, the person in charge, at least thirty (30) days prior thereto, shall file an application with the department for permission to hold the regatta, motorboat or other boat race, marine events, tournament or exhibition. The application shall set forth the date, time and location of the proposed event and such other information as the commission may by regulation require.
No person shall operate or be in actual physical control of a motorboat required to be numbered on the waters in this state unless he is at least sixteen (16) years of age or is accompanied by an adult. No person shall knowingly permit the operation of a numbered motorboat on the waters of this state by a person under sixteen (16) years of age who is not accompanied by an adult.
41-13-220. Eluding an officer; emergency watercraft equipment restricted.
(a) Any person operating a watercraft shall upon observing a visual or hearing an audible signal from a law enforcement officer enforcing this act and rules and regulations of the commission, bring the watercraft to an immediate stop. No person, after observing a visual or hearing an audible signal from a law enforcement officer enforcing this act and rules and regulations of the commission, shall attempt to elude a law enforcement officer by watercraft or any other means.
(b) Red or blue rotating or flashing lights shall not be displayed and sirens shall not be used on watercraft except as authorized for watercraft operated or used by law enforcement and emergency watercraft.
When used in this act, unless the context otherwise requires, "board" means the Wyoming natural resource board [economic development and stabilization board], "director" means the director of the natural resource board, and "chief" means chief of the water development division of the natural resource board.
41-14-102. Contracts with United States for acquisition of
space in the proposed Fontenelle Reservoir of the Seedskadee Project. The board is hereby authorized to contract with the United States or its agent for the acquisition of space in the proposed Fontenelle Reservoir of the Seedskadee Project for the storage of water for municipal and industrial uses, to the extent the board determines necessary for beneficial use in the state of Wyoming, but not to exceed sixty thousand (60,000) acre-feet and to contract for the payment to the United States of not more than nine hundred thousand dollars ($900,000.00) as the allocated costs thereof pursuant to the Federal Reclamation Laws and the Water Supply Act of 1958 (43 U.S.C. § 390b).
41-14-103. Issuance of bonds; purchase of bonds by state
treasurer; interest rates; when bonds due and payable; disposition of proceeds of sale; use of revenues derived from furnishing water.
(a) The board is hereby authorized to issue its nonnegotiable debenture bonds in such numbers and amounts, not exceeding nine hundred thousand dollars ($900,000.00), as may, from time to time, be required by it to carry out the provisions of this act. The state treasurer is hereby authorized and directed, with the approval of the governor and the attorney general, to purchase such bonds for investment of the permanent funds of the state of Wyoming to the extent practicable. Such bonds issued by the board will bear interest at the rate of three percent (3%) per annum and will be payable on dates fixed by the board but not more than ten (10) years from the date of issue.
(b) The funds obtained from the sale of said bonds provided for in subsection (a) of this section are hereby made available to the board to be used for the purposes of this act including, but not limited to the payment of any sums due to the United States for the repayment of the cost of construction of the space acquired by the board in the proposed Fontenelle Reservoir; its share of operation and maintenance of said reservoir and refunding of principal or interest of bonds issued by it.
(c) All revenues derived from the furnishing of water for industrial or municipal purposes pursuant to this act shall be credited to a separate account. The board shall use any monies in this account for the repayment to the United States of the allocated cost of construction and operation and maintenance of the board's acquired space in the Fontenelle Reservoir and for payment of interest and principal on its obligations prior to the use for such purposes of funds received by it from the sale of its bonds. All monies in this account in excess of those required for the board's current operations under this act shall be applied to the retirement of the board's debenture bonds purchased by the state treasurer.