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24
50 Years: The Department of Boating and Waterways, 1957 to 2007
change that process so that her programs would have definitive funds
as well as control of available federal funding. Throughout her career at
Cal Boating, Dolores excelled in the two areas where she had a proven
track record: education and law enforcement programs. She worked with
boating and educational experts to develop boating safety brochures for
the general public and boating safety program materials for students and
teachers statewide.
Dolores and her staff received several awards from the National
Boating Safety Council and National Association of State Boating
Law Administrators for elementary school boating safety programs
developed at Cal Boating under her direction, including the “AquaSmart”
program. The department’s radio spots and safety campaigns using
children’s artwork also won national recognition for excellence. Dolores
remembers how hard it was to be accepted initially on the national level.
“California had not been actively ‘hands on’ in these areas before,” she
explains. “Now we were winning awards, and other states were asking,
‘What did we know?’” But the skeptics were soon won over, and many of
California’s imaginative educational programs became models that were
copied by other states and other countries.
Working with law enforcement was another venue where Dolores
effectively brought about positive change. She helped expand a grant
program for counties without a sufficient tax base to maintain a law
enforcement presence on the water. What was originally a $2.5 million
federal program grew to $10.6 million in funding for counties in
the Delta and Shasta County to fund boat patrols on area waterways.
Dolores also enhanced much of the training available from Cal Boating
to law enforcement agencies – rules of the water, fire safety, navigation
aides, accident investigation, and use of personal watercraft (PWC) for
rescue and patrols – and added classes as well. The accident investigation
Annual Boating Safety
Poster Contest
One of the highlights of Cal Boating’s
education program is the annual
Boating Safety Poster Contest, which
marked its 14th year in 2007. Under
Dolores Farrell’s direction, the poster
campaign won several national
awards for excellence. Open to all
California students in grades K-8, the
contest combines art with water safety
education. Nine winning posters, one
for each grade level, are selected for
Cal Boating’s official calendar each
year. The winners are awarded savings
bonds, and their teachers receive gift
certificates for classroom materials,
all courtesy of corporate sponsors.
Students create artwork that depicts
aquatic safety themes. They not only
become “waterwise,” but they help
to spread the word about being safe
around the water.
(continued page 25)
1985
Legislation allows
Cal Boating to
provide loans to
businesses for
development
of recreational
marinas.
Through 2007,
Cal Boating has
provided $52
million in business
loans for the
construction of
marina facilities
used by the public.
1986
Until 1986, California lacked clear
definition of “intoxication” for a
vessel operator. Making the blood
alcohol level identical to the
Vehicle Code standard
(.10 percent) enables law enforce
ment to crack down on impaired
boat operators.
Fifth Department
Logo, 1988–2007