HAVERHILL — Paddling on Crystal Lake and camping on city conservation land are a few of the new activities the city is looking to put in place.
Mayor Melinda Barrett submitted several ordinances to the City Council to amend various sections of the city code related to the public’s use of conservation areas and open spaces.
Notable new rules would allow canoeing and kayaking at Crystal Lake, which up to this point has been illegal.
The new rules also eliminate the need for a special permit to fish at Crystal Lake in addition to a state fishing license.
If approved by the council, all anglers would need is a standard state fishing license to fish at Crystal Lake. City officials said it is popular among bass fishermen, but it is not stocked as several other bodies of water in the city are. Ice fishing is also allowed on Crystal Lake.
The new rules would also allow the Recreation Department to establish a camping program using safe cooking devices. Camping site locations will be determined by the city at a future date.
City Environmental Health Technician Robert Moore said camping is a significant expansion of our recreational offerings and has been requested by residents over the years. “The ordinance includes detailed conditions for implementation of a safe program based on guidance and discussion with the fire department, which provided us with a letter of support,” he said.
The order amending conservation related city’s ordinances were presented to the City Council at its June 25 meeting, where it was placed on file for 10 days. The council next meets on July 9.
“We are just laying groundwork at this point,” Moore said. “At the request of our Conservation Officer we did add some language that replicates some state regulations, such as having a state fishing license to fish in our lakes and ponds. This allows for our Conservation Officer to enforce fishing regulations at the local level whereas currently they can only be enforced by State Environmental Police.”
Moore said the revisions were drafted over the last several years through multiple discussions with representatives from the city’s Water, Recreation, Fire and Police departments and that the updates are an effort to add clarity and consistency across the city’s various properties and bodies of water.
Ward 1 City Councilor Ralph Basiliere, a former Conservation Commissioner, said the ordinance changes are long overdue.
“I’m happy to see the city moving in the right direction,” he said. “These lands belong to the people and these ordinances will help them to be better managed.”
Other ordinance changes include prohibiting fishing at Winnekenni Basin, which is currently allowed. Moore said this intended to eliminate any confusion alleged by those who are caught fishing at Kenoza Lake, where fishing is prohibited as it is the city’s main water supply and is where the water treatment plant is located.
Plug Pond (Lake Saltonstall) and Round Pond (Lake Pentucket) provide similar fishing access without the confusion caused by those caught fishing at Kenoza Lake. Fishing is also allowed at Millvale Reservoir, at Chadwick Pond and in various waterways such as Little River and East Meadow River, which are both stocked by the state, and the Merrimack River.
Moore said there is nothing currently in the city code related to paddleboarding, so the new regulations address that.
“Paddleboarding, a fairly new activity, is addressed in the ordinance changes, which note that paddleboarding may occur at Chadwick Pond and Plug Pond,” he said. “People have been calling and asking where they can do that, so now we’re making it clear where people can paddleboard.”
Under the proposed changes conservation area ordinances, Class 1, 2 and 3 electric pedal assist bicycles would be allowed within the city’s conservation areas. Class 4 bicycles would not be allowed as they are more like a motorcycle than a bicycle.
A revision to the city’s firearms ordinance would create improved hunting opportunities in the rural Brandy Brow forest area. Hunters would still need to comply with all hunting regulations.
“There are lot of deer and other game in that area of the city,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, these changes are a win for people who are looking for more fishing opportunities, more paddling opportunities, more hunting opportunities, and other outdoor recreation including camping.”
The changes also better define existing fines and penalties for violating the city’s regulations pertaining to outdoor recreational activities such as possession of an alcoholic beverage in a park or playground, occupying a boat without a life preserver, as well as other ordinances such as defacing public property.
“One section of the code outlines fines for excessive noise by animals (such as dogs barking), which comes with $50 fine for the first offense, $100 for a second and $300 for a third and subsequent offense,” he said.
For dog owners, there are new levels of $50 for first offense dog off leash running wild in conservation areas and for not properly disposing of dog waste, $100 for second offense and $300 for a third and subsequent offense.
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