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50 Years: The Department of Boating and Waterways, 1957 to 2007
“S.S. Relief” Floating Restroom Program
Established in 1972, the “S.S. Relief ” Floating Restroom Program
has granted funds for 200 floating facilities at a cost of $65,000 each.
Currently throughout the state, there are 100 Cal Boating-funded
floating restrooms in use that are visited by hundreds of thousands
of boaters each year. Each restroom sports a rustic, woodsy look
reminiscent of an old outhouse. However, the facilities have modern,
solar powered flush toilet systems. The holding tanks capture over
500 gallons of sewage and prevent an estimated 1,000,000 gallons of
sewage from entering state waterways each year. The floating restroom
program reflects a unique partnership between Cal Boating, which
funds the purchase of the facilities, and various federal, state and
local agencies, that operate and maintain the restrooms. The floating
restroom concept has been copied nationwide, and the department
has received many comments from the public saying that the facilities
enhance family boating.
Aquatic Weed Control Program
The field and office staff of Cal Boating’s Aquatic Weed Control
Program attempt to control two invasive, non-native weeds in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: water hyacinth and Egeria densa. Both
plants come from Brazil. The water hyacinth is the fastest growing
plant in the world, doubling in size during hot weather every seven to
10 days.
The Delta has become an area of great concern because of the fragility
of its levees, a decline in fisheries, and the need to transfer water from
the Delta to Southern California and other areas. Invasive weeds can
have a negative impact on fisheries, water conveyance, agriculture,
and Delta businesses, while impeding navigation, marina operations
and recreation.
In 1982, Cal Boating received legislative authority to control the
water hyacinth; in 1996, similar authority was granted for Egeria
densa. All control efforts are accomplished under permit from the
Water Resources Control Board, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. These control efforts help make the Delta a healthier place for
native ecology and enhance the well-being of California.
While rustic in appearance,
floating restrooms have modern,
solar-powered flush toilet systems.
Cal Boating’s Aquatic Weed
Program helps protect the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.