Orange County NC Website
20 <br /> Conditions for Mountains-to-Sea Trail on OWASA Land <br /> August 19, 2016 <br /> Page 3 <br /> 16. Best management practices regarding watershed protection and fire <br /> prevention shall be followed for trail planning, design, construction, <br /> operation and maintenance. <br /> 17. Any trash and food scraps must be packed out. No littering. <br /> Minimize Risks from Trail Use <br /> The conditions included in this section are intended to minimize additional risks <br /> from having hikers on OWASA property. The Agreement OWASA has with the <br /> Commission for Public Health (see more details in Watershed Protection section <br /> above) also has clauses which pertain to fishing, boating, and hunting as <br /> summarized below: <br /> • Boating access is restricted to areas designated by OWASA, and thus the <br /> reservoir should not be accessed from areas other than from our public <br /> access location. This enables OWASA to inspect boats used on the reservoir <br /> to ensure they do not carry aquatic weeds, are clean and free of trash, <br /> meet US Coast Guard standards, and are in good physical condition for <br /> water worthiness and safety equipment. Only electric trolling motors are <br /> allowed, and must be secured to the boat in an approved manner with the <br /> battery secured in a battery box. <br /> • Fishing is restricted to boats launched at OWASA's public access point when <br /> it is open, designated areas on OWASA docks, and designated bank areas at <br /> OWASA's public access point. <br /> • No hunting or trapping is allowed on OWASA's land at the reservoir. <br /> While the agreement is focused on the use of the reservoir, the agreement <br /> specifies boats cannot be within 150 feet of the water supply intake structure. <br /> This condition minimizes risk to the water supply and potential safety issues. <br /> Similarly, not allowing the trail near the dam, spillway, and other structures <br /> minimizes risk to the structures and potential safety issues for the public. <br /> The agreement also states that the lake may only be open during daylight hours. <br /> Restricting use of the trail during daylight hours along with not allowing camping <br /> will minimize the risk from campfires. Prohibiting smoking minimizes the risk of a <br /> manmade forest fire as well. <br /> 4.14 <br />