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7
50 Years: The Department of Boating and Waterways, 1957 to 2007
California’s boating community,
desiring a state boating agency
and development of “harbors
and refuge” for coastal safety,
successfully helps pass legislation
establishing “Division of Small
Craft Harbors” in Department of
Natural Resources.
New law also establishes Small Craft
Harbors Commission and allows
division to make loans to cities,
counties and districts for planning
and constructing small craft harbors.
The legislation, signed by Governor
Goodwin J. Knight, becomes effective
September 11, 1957!
First small craft harbor loan
is provided to Los Angeles
County for infrastructure
development of Marina del
Rey, which becomes the
largest man-made recreational
harbor in the world.
Bill Curry
Civil Engineer and Supervising
Civil Engineer, 1968–2002
Retired Annuitant, 2002–present
M A K I NG A D I F F E R E NC E F OR B OA T E R S
Bill Curry is a civil engineer who worked for Cal Boating for 35 years
and then retired – for all of three weeks! Since 2002, Bill has served
as a retired annuitant, working two days a week. His primary areas
of responsibility have been boat launching facility grants and marina
loans. The department has made grants to cities, counties, districts,
and federal agencies since the early 1960s. Cal Boating has funded
more than 400 of these facilities in the past 50 years, creating increased
public access to coastal water ways, inland lakes, reservoirs, and
rivers. The department has also made loans available to public agencies
for marinas since 1957. “We’ve provided the financial assistance to
help make the building of many public boat launching facilities and
marinas possible,” explains Bill.
Cal Boating is involved from the “nuts and bolts” of the facility planning
stage to working with designers and contractors, right through to the
ribbon cutting ceremony. Recipients of both the grant and loan funds enter
into long-term contracts to operate and maintain the projects. Bill has
watched the successful process unfold many times. The City of Petaluma
Boat Launching Facility was the first grant project that Bill worked on for
Cal Boating, back in 1968-1969, and he loves his job as much as ever today.
“It’s really a treat to be able to play Santa Claus,” he says.
1957