Any and all boats lying on the shoreline, abandoned or being grounded within the incorporated limits of the city for a period of more than 96 hours are hereby declared nuisances. It shall be the responsibility of the police department to provide for the removal, storage and final disposition of such vessels.
(Code 1972, § 6-7; Ordinance 1153, § 1, 5-9-00)
Except as authorized by rule permit, or order issued by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), no person may:
(1) 
Discharge sewage, municipal waste, recreational waste, agricultural waste, industrial waste, refuse into or adjacent to any water within the city limits.
(2) 
Discharge other waste into or adjacent to any water within the city limits which in itself or in conjunction with any other discharge or activity causes, or will cause pollution of any of the water within the city limits.
(Ordinance 1153, § 1, 5-9-00)
The provisions of this article apply to all waters within the corporate limits of the city, except as otherwise specifically designated in this article.
(Code 1972, § 6-29; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction any such violation shall be punishable by a fine as provided in section 1-7(a).
(Ordinance 961, § 3, 11-23-93; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
(a) 
The Rockport Police Department shall maintain a water safety patrol boat or boats to be operated by sworn peace officers of the department that are certified as marine safety enforcement officers.
(b) 
The patrol vessel shall be clearly marked as a police vessel at the discretion of the chief of police and be equipped with a blue warning light and an audible warning device.
(c) 
Upon sighting the police patrol vessel with the blue warning light activated, the operator of a vessel underway shall reduce speed immediately and bring his vessel to headway speed and subsequently stop until the intention of the water safety patrol vessel is understood.
(d) 
Police officers of the city and all other enforcement officers as designated in the Water Safety Act (V.T.C.A., Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 31) may stop and board any vessel to inspect the same in order to determine compliance with applicable provisions of the Water Safety Act (V.T.C.A., Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 31) of this article.
(e) 
If a police officer of this city or other enforcement officer, as hereinabove designated, determines that a vessel and its associated equipment is being used in violation of the Water Safety Act (V.T.C.A., Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 31) or the provisions of this article so as to create an especially hazardous condition, he may direct the operator to remove the vessel from the waters of the city, and such operator shall not therefore operate such vessel upon waters within the city until such condition creating the violation has been corrected.
(Code 1972, § 6-21; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
(a) 
Except as specifically exempted in this article, no person shall operate a motor vessel in any water areas within the city limits designated as "Slow, No Wake Zones" at greater than headway speed.
Headway speed is defined as the slowest possible speed a particular vessel can travel and still maintain steerage.
(1) 
No person may operate a motor vessel within the city limits at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard to the conditions and hazards, actual and potential, then existing, including weather and density of traffic, or greater that will permit him, in the exercise of reasonable care, to bring such vessel to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead.
(2) 
Motor vessels operated by the city police department, the county sheriff's department, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department-law enforcement division, the U.S. Coast Guard or other law enforcement agencies, in the course of their official duties may exceed the speed limit in the restricted water areas within the city limits as necessary.
(3) 
The following areas are designated as "Slow, No wake Zones".
a. 
All waters of the channel connecting Little Bay and Aransas Bay from the red and green lighted markers at the entrance to such channel from Aransas Bay to Little Bay (Legget Channel).
b. 
All waters of Little Bay lying north of the south line of the Legget Channel as extended in a direct line to Broadway Street. These areas include but are not limited to:
1. 
All canals of the Key Allegro subdivision.
2. 
All waters west of the channel entrance located at the north end of the Key Allegro subdivision and Allegro North Condominiums (Blevins Channel).
3. 
All canals of the Harbor Oaks subdivision and Canoe Lake.
c. 
All water areas inside the Rockport Harbor.
(Code 1972, § 6-22; Ordinance 896, § 1, 8-27-91; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
No person shall operate a motor vessel in the water areas within the city limits in a manner that creates an excessive wake, wash or noise, which interferes with the public use and enjoyment of the water, or public or private use and enjoyment of the water, or public or private use and enjoyment of the property abutting the water. Violation of this section shall be considered a public nuisance.
(Code 1972, § 6-23(a); Ordinance 896, § 2, 8-27-91; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
(a) 
No person shall operate a vessel or manipulate waterskis, an aquaplane or similar device in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others, or without due caution or circumspection, or at a speed or in a manner that endangers, or is likely to endanger, a person or property.
(b) 
No person shall operate a motor vessel within any water area in the city limits, as now or hereafter established, which has been clearly marked by buoys, signs or other distinguishing device as a fishing, swimming or otherwise restricted area when such buoys or other such devices have been placed by the city. These areas include but are not limited to:
(1) 
The watercraft exclusion zone is defined as: All waters within the boundaries of Little Bay and the Rockport Ski Basin excluding the marked navigable channels of the Rockport Ski Basin and Little Bay, the Legget Channel, the Blevins Channel, Canoe Lake and the canals of Key Allegro and Harbor Oaks subdivisions.
(2) 
The Salt Water Pool.
(3) 
The marked swimming area in Aransas Bay at the Rockport Beach Park.
This section shall not apply in case of an emergency or to patrol or rescue vessels.
(Code 1972, § 6-23(b), (c); Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
(a) 
Except where expressly prohibited in this code, it is lawful for persons to anchor or moor vessels within the boundaries of Little Bay.
(1) 
Persons may anchor or moor vessels within the boundaries of Little Bay up to 96 hours and then only so as not to prevent, impede, obstruct or otherwise interfere with the navigation of a channel or with the safe passage of any other vessel in the area.
(2) 
Any vessel anchored within the boundaries of Little Bay for more than 96 hours must be removed from the area, or otherwise docked, not less than 30 days before being permitted to lawfully again anchor in Little Bay.
(3) 
If an enforcement officer determines a vessel unlawfully anchored or moored in violation of subsection (a)(1) of this section, the owner must be notified in person or in writing of the violation. Once notified, the owner will be in violation should he intentionally or knowingly fail to comply with subsection (a)(2) of this section.
(4) 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a vessel from being anchored or moored in a restricted water area in violation of this section due to severe weather conditions.
(5) 
No person may anchor or moor any vessel within any canal of the Key Allegro or Harbor Oaks subdivisions.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful for a person to anchor, moor, or dock a vessel in Little Bay in the following areas:
(1) 
The Harbor Oaks bridge channel, on both sides thereof from under the bridge to and including 120 feet on the south side of the bridge.
(2) 
The Key Allegro bridge channel, on both sides thereof from under the bridge to and including 120 feet on the south side of the bridge.
(Code 1972, § 6-24; Ordinance 961, § 1, 11-23-93; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
(a) 
No person shall operate a vessel engaged in towing another person on waterskis, surfboards, aquaplanes or other similar contrivances, and no person shall engage in waterskiing, surfboarding or similar activity at any time between the hours from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
(b) 
All motorboats having in tow or otherwise assisting in towing a person on waterskis, aquaplane or similar contrivance, shall be operated in a careful and prudent manner, and at a reasonable distance from persons and property so as not to endanger the life or property of any person.
(c) 
No person shall operate a vessel engaged in towing another person on waterskis, surfboards, aquaplanes or any similar contrivance unless such operator shall have on board such vessel at least one additional person 13 years of age or older whose sole responsibility shall be to keep careful watch upon the person being towed.
(d) 
No person shall operate a vessel engaged in towing another person on waterskis, surfboards, aquaplanes or any similar contrivance, and no person shall engage in waterskiing, surfboarding or similar activity in any waters of Little Bay, including the canals of any subdivision connected thereto, except in such areas as may be specifically designated for such activities.
(Code 1972, § 6-25; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)
(a) 
Little Bay is defined as all water areas whether navigable or not, including manmade canals or channels, within the city limits that are protected from the waters of Aransas Bay, by land mass that is the Key Allegro subdivision and the land mass that is the Rockport Beach Park. These areas include, but are not limited to:
(1) 
All waters north of the channel entrance located between the northeast end of Rockport Beach Park and the southern end of Key Allegro subdivision;
(2) 
All waters west of the channel entrance located at the north end of the Key Allegro subdivision and Allegro North Condominiums;
(3) 
All waters accessible between subsections (a)(1) and (2) above that are not contiguous to the waters of Aransas Bay. This includes the canals of the Key Allegro and Harbor Oaks subdivision and Canoe Lake; and
(4) 
All waters west of a line extended south from and in line with the end of the Rockport sea wall, being the Rockport harbor channel entrance.
(b) 
The Rockport Ski Basin is defined as the area of Little Bay, whether navigable or not, within the city limits that are protected from the waters of Aransas Bay by the land mass that is the Rockport Beach Park and lying south of the south line of the Legget Channel as extended to Broadway Street.
(c) 
The Rockport Harbor is defined as all water areas protected from the waters of Aransas Bay by the Rockport sea wall north of a direct line perpendicular to the sea wall from the southernmost end of the sea wall to the mainland.
(d) 
All vessels operating in the Rockport Ski Basin shall operate in the same direction by proceeding in the counterclockwise direction around the bird islands in the middle of the Rockport Ski Basin.
(e) 
It shall be unlawful for any person while operating a motor vessel to pass between the north and south bird islands in the Rockport Ski Basin.
(f) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any sailboat or similar vessel in the Rockport Ski Basin being powered by wind power alone.
(g) 
Fishing shall be prohibited from the boat dock at the boat ramp located at the Rockport Beach Park.
(h) 
Recreational swimming is prohibited in the Rockport Harbor and in the area of the boat ramp and boat dock located at the Rockport Beach Park.
(i) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to moor or attach any boat or vessel to any buoy, beacon, light, marker, stake, flag, or other aid to safe operation and navigation placed in or upon the waters contained within the city limits, and it shall be further unlawful for any person to move, remove, displace, tamper with, damage or destroy any of such markers or aids to safe operation and navigation.
(j) 
The areas described in this code are depicted on the map incorporated in this Code by reference, which map shall remain on file in the office of the city secretary.
(Code 1972, § 6-26; Ordinance 454, §§ 1, 2, 6-12-78; Ordinance 896, § 3, 8-27-91; Ordinance 961, § 2, 11-23-93; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00; Ordinance 1157, § 1, 6-27-00)
The city manager shall establish a water safety advisory committee each year to assist in an annual review of this article, development of appropriate public signs, etc., so as to ensure the safe and pleasurable use of the public waters.
(Ordinance 896, § 5, 8-27-91; Ordinance 1153, § 2, 5-9-00)