Section 12.07 - Rules of Conduct on DCR Properties - Boating(1) All boating activities must comply with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 90B.(2) No person may launch or use any watercraft of any nature or type, including personal watercraft, where it is posted as prohibited. Emergency launching is allowed at all times.(3) No person may operate any watercraft or personal watercraft in excess of the posted speed limit. If no speed limit is posted, the speed limit shall be 12 miles per hour, except that when lawfully towing water skiers, maximum speed shall not exceed 45 miles per hour.(4) No person, other than DCR personnel or law enforcement officials, may operate or cause to operate or pilot any watercraft, personal or otherwise, within the boundaries of any DCR designated swimming area.(5) No person may operate any watercraft or personal watercraft in excess of headway speed when said watercraft or personal watercraft is within 150 feet of any channel, tunnel, pier, mooring, wharf or floating structure or designated swimming area.(6) Inflatable boats are allowed in those areas where boating is allowed if the inflatable is crafted with a minimum of two separate air cells in the gunwales and two or more separate air cells in the floor; or if the inflatable boat is crafted with a non inflatable hull of material normally associated with traditional boat construction.(7) No person may water ski on DCR property, including but not limited to any lake, pond or beach area unless the area has been designated and posted for such use.(8) In areas designated as allowing water skiing, no person may:(a) Tow any water skier at any time, unless there are at least two persons present in the towing watercraft, one person is acting as a safety observer for the skier(s), and said observer is 12 years of age or older.(b) While being towed by a watercraft, have any airfoil or balloon device, parasail, kite or other such device, in hand or affixed to his person for the purpose of becoming airborne.(9) The launching or use of any watercraft of any nature or type, whether motor-powered or not, unless such watercraft is operated by DCR personnel or by other properly authorized person, is prohibited on the following DCR waters or launching ramps at all times: (a) Houghton's Pond - Blue Hills Reservation, Milton;(b) Blue Hills Reservoir - Blue Hills Reservation, Quincy;(c) Lost Pond Reservation, Brookline;(d) Chestnut Hill Reservoir - Chestnut Hill Reservation;(e) All ponds in Bristol Blake State Reservation;(f) Chicopee Reservoir - Chicopee Memorial State Park;(g) Dean Pond - Brimfield State Forest;(h) Robinson Pond - Robinson State Park;(i) All launching ramps at Fort Phoenix State Reservation;(j) All launching ramps at Fall River Heritage State Park;(l) Middlesex Fells Ponds: Doleful Pond, Quarter-Mile Pond, Bellevue Pond, Long Pond, Dark Hollow Pond;(m) High Service Reservoir - Middlesex Fells Reservation;(n) Silver Lake - Breakheart Reservation; and(o) Pearce Lake - Breakheart Reservation.(10) No person, except DCR personnel or other properly authorized person, may operate a personal watercraft from the Wallum Lake public launching facility in Douglas State Forest on weekends or holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.(11) At the following locations, only car top boats may be launched or used, unless the watercraft is operated by DCR personnel or by another properly authorized person: (a) Hillside Pond - Blue Hills Reservation, Milton;(b) St. Moritz Pond - Blue Hills Reservation, Quincy;(c) Greenlodge - Neponset River Reservation, Canton;(d) Paul's Bridge - Neponset River Reservation, Hyde Park;(e) Kendrick Pond - Cutler Park Reservation, Needham;(f) Kingsbury Road - Mother Brook Reservation, Hyde Park;(g) Ames Street/Pleasant Street - Upper Charles River, Dedham;(h) Charles River Road - Upper Charles River Reservation, Newton;(i) Elm Bank Reservation - Upper Charles River, Dover;(j) Hemlock Gorge Reservation - Upper Charles River, Newton;(k) Riverdale Park - Upper Charles River Reservation, Dedham;(l) Quinobequin Road - Upper Charles River Reservation;(m) Redwing Bay - Village Falls Park, Upper Charles River, Needham;(n) Borderland State Park ponds, Easton and Sharon;(o) Nickerson State Park: Flax, Little Cliff, and Higgins Ponds, Brewster;(p) Turtle Pond - Stony Brook Reservation, West Roxbury;(q) Paradise Pond - Leominster State Forest, Leominster; and(r) Aaron Reservoir, Wompatuck State Park, Scituate.(12) At the following locations, only motorized watercraft with electric motors (not to exceed ten mph) and car top boats may be launched or used, unless the watercraft is operated by DCR personnel or by another properly authorized person:(a) Ponkapoag Pond - Blue Hills Reservation, Randolph;(b) Hammond Pond Reservation, Newton;(c) Cliff Pond - Nickerson State Park, Brewster; and(d) Hopkinton Reservoir, Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton.(13) Sailboats and sailboards are prohibited on Walden Pond at Walden Pond State Reservation.(14) No operator of a watercraft may anchor, dock or tie up any such watercraft to any dock or ramp designated by the DCR to be a general public use dock or ramp in such a manner as to hinder or obstruct the launching or landing of other watercraft or the navigation of adjacent waterways or for a period of time in excess of one hour, except at locations designated for longer periods of time by the DCR.(15) From sunset to sunrise, all watercraft shall display proper lights.(16) A person may not transport any aquatic species, including, but not limited to, fragments, roots, rhizomes, stems, leaves, seeds, larvae, or animal or plant fibers, on a boat, personal watercraft, boat trailer, anchor, gear (including diving, recreational and fishing equipment) or any other equipment that may come in contact with the water.(17) A person may not transport any aquatic species (with the exception of bait fish) in live-wells, bait buckets or engine cooling water.(18) Except fish stocking activities carried out by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, a person may not release any aquatic species, plant or animal, into a water body unless that species came out of that water body.(19) A person may not transport or distribute any aquatic invasive species (or parts of any aquatic invasive species, including roots, rhizomes, stems, leaves, seeds, larvae, or animal or plant fibers) in a manner that could cause the species to get into or out of any waters under the care and custody of DCR.(20) No person may land, beach, anchor, moor or otherwise park any watercraft, personal or otherwise, at any designated swimming area, channel, tunnel, pier, mooring, wharf, or other coastal infrastructure such as a jetty or groin, unless: (a) Such areas are designated for such purposes;(b) Such person has obtained a boating and waterfront permit issued in accordance with 302 CMR 12.17(3); or(c) There is an emergency situation.(21) No watercraft or personal watercraft powered by an internal combustion engine, where the engine is uncovered or exposed to the atmosphere, shall be launched, maintained or operated upon any DCR waters except by a boating and waterfront permit issued in accordance with 302 CMR 12.17(3).(22) No person may launch a windsurfing or kite apparatus from a designated swimming beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day, unless such swimming beach has been specifically designated for such purpose.(23) In addition to all other rules of conduct relating to boating set forth in 302 CMR 12.07, for all activities in the Charles River Basin, no person may: (a) Operate a watercraft at a speed exceeding ten miles per hour, or in such a manner as to endanger or annoy bathers or the occupants of other boats, or to create a wake within 50 yards of floats;(b) Create a wake within 50 yards of a canoe, shell, rowboat, kayak, sail boat or similar non-motorized vessel;(c) Pass a canoe, shell, rowboat, kayak or sailboat by a powerboat unless: 1. A powerboat approaching a canoe, shell, rowboat, kayak or sailboat from the opposite direction shall reduce speed to headway only within 50 yards of the non-motorized vessel or within a sufficient distance to avoid endangering the non-motorized vessel, whichever is greater; and2. A powerboat approaching a canoe, shell, rowboat, kayak, or similar non-motorized vessel going in the same direction shall indicate intent to pass and shall wait for a reply. The canoe, shell, rowboat, kayak, or similar non-motorized vessel shall acknowledge at the earliest opportunity and shall stop to allow the powerboat to pass at controlled wake.(d) Operate motorized watercraft at speeds greater than five miles per hour in the area between the North Beacon Street Bridge and the Boston University Bridge, which is designated as a controlled wake area;(e) Unless otherwise designated or specified by the Department during permitted events, or except in an emergency, anchor or moor any watercraft outside of locations designated for the purpose by buoys or markers set by direction of the Department. Moorings in stream must be of a type and at a location approved in advance by DCR personnel;(f) Moor houseboats, barges or similar vessels that cannot be moved under their own power, unless authorized by DCR in writing;(g) In accordance with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations, moor in the Charles River Basin and discharge sewage into the Charles River Basin;(h) Moor a watercraft in excess of 30 feet in the Charles River Basin or upstream of the Boston University Bridge without written authorization from the Department; and(i) Except in an emergency, moor a watercraft to a public landing for a period of time in excess of 20 minutes, except that at the Hatch Shell Landing, a watercraft can remain only as long as it takes to drop off or pick up passengers;(24)302 CMR 12.07(24)(a) through (c) applies to Otis Reservoir:(a) No watercraft, except pontoon or sail powered boats, may exceed 24 feet in length overall;(b) Waterskiing is prohibited between 10:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, from Memorial Day to Labor Day in the area between Kibbe Point and Tolland State Forest Campground; and(c) All boats using the Dismal Bay area shall not exceed 5 MPH (no wake).Adopted by Mass Register Issue 1272, eff. 10/24/2014.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1471, eff. 6/10/2022.