There is now a motorized watercraft ban along the Windsor shoreline of the Detroit River.
The Windsor Port Authority has authorized a temporary 30-day buffer zone for all motorized boats and jet ski's.
It means any watercraft with a motor must remain 30 metres from shore, effective immediately.
"We're doing everything we can to try and mitigate the damage to our friends our neighbours and our family as we move through this process," says Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens.
The Port Authority discussed the issue with city officials this week as well as Windsor Police, LaSalle Police, the OPP and the RCMP.
The ban would help stop waves from crashing into the shoreline and onto properties along Riverside Drive.
Windsor Port Authority CEO Steve Salmons says the ban will stretch from the Windsor border along LaSalle to the Windsor border near Lake St.Clair at Tecumseh.
"The shipping industry has agreed to reduce their maximum speed from 10 kilometers an hour to 7 kilometers an hour. That's a 30 per cent reduction," says Salmons.
Docking is the only exception to this 30-meter rule and a no wake zone remain in effect for the waters between Peche Island and Lakeview Marina.
Windsor police say offenders are liable to a fine of up to $5,000 in the case of an individual, and up to $50,000 in the case of a corporation or ship.
The Windsor Police Service Marine Unit will be active on our waterways in support of this traffic control zone. Members of the Marine Unit will be providing education, documented warnings, and enforcement when required.
An information card designed to educate boaters on the 30-metre ban will be handed out at boating locations across the city.
