50 C.F.R. § 17.102
In addition to definitions contained in the Acts, part 10 of this subchapter, and § 17.3 of this part, and unless the context otherwise requires, in this subpart:
Acts means the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (87 Stat. 884, 16 U.S.C. 1531 - 1543 ) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (86 Stat. 1027, 16 U.S.C. 1361 - 1407 );
Authorized officer means any commissioned, warrant, or petty officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, or any officer or agent designated by the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary of the Treasury, or any officer designated by the head of a Federal or State agency which has entered into an agreement with the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Treasury, or Secretary of Transportation to enforce the Acts, or any Coast Guard personnel accompanying and acting under the direction of a person included above in this definition;
Idle speed is defined as the minimum speed needed to maintain steerage (direction) of the vessel;
Manatee protection area means a manatee refuge or a manatee sanctuary;
Manatee refuge means an area in which the Director has determined that certain waterborne activity would result in the taking of one or more manatees, or that certain waterborne activity must be restricted to prevent the taking of one or more manatees, including but not limited to a taking by harassment;
Manatee sanctuary means an area in which the Director has determined that any waterborne activity would result in a taking of one or more manatees, including but not limited to a taking by harassment;
Planing means riding on or near the water's surface as a result of the hydrodynamic forces on a water vehicle's hull, sponsons, foils, or other surfaces. A water vehicle is considered on plane when it is being operated at or above the speed necessary to keep the vessel planing;
Slow speed is defined as the speed at which a water vehicle proceeds when it is fully off plane and completely settled in the water. Due to the different speeds at which water vehicles of different sizes and configurations may travel while in compliance with this definition, no specific speed is assigned to slow speed. A water vehicle is not proceeding at slow speed if it is: on a plane; in the process of coming up on or coming off of plane; or creating an excessive wake. A water vehicle is proceeding at slow speed if it is fully off plane and completely settled in the water, not creating an excessive wake;
Slow speed (channel exempt) means that the slow-speed designation does not apply to those waters within the maintained, marked channel;
Slow speed (channel included) means that the slow-speed designation applies both within and outside the designated channel;
Wake means all changes in the vertical height of the water's surface caused by the passage of a water vehicle, including a vessel's bow wave, stern wave, and propeller wash, or a combination thereof;
Waterborne activity includes, but is not limited to, swimming, diving (including skin and scuba diving), snorkeling, water skiing, surfing, fishing, the use of water vehicles, and dredging and filling operations;
Water vehicle, watercraft, and vessel include, but are not limited to, boats (whether powered by engine, wind, or other means), ships (whether powered by engine, wind, or other means), barges, surfboards, personal watercraft, water skis, or any other device or mechanism the primary or an incidental purpose of which is locomotion on, or across, or underneath the surface of the water.
50 C.F.R. §17.102