This Article shall apply to the use of the waters of the Kings River within Tulare County from the Fresno County boundary to the Kingsburg Weir, including any and all channels thereof.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3559, effective 6-20-19)
The Tulare County Sheriff may close or restrict the use of any portion of the Kings River to swimmers and/or any or all classes or types of boats when necessary to protect the public health or safety, including, but not limited to, situations when excessively high or low water levels and debris present an unreasonable danger to swimmers, boaters and/or adjacent property. It shall be unlawful for anyone, other than a person engaged in emergency activities carried out with the authorization and under the control of the Tulare County Sheriff or his duly authorized representatives, to use any portion of the Kings River in a manner that is contrary to a posted or signed closure or restriction under this section. Appeal of an action taken by the Tulare County Sheriff to close or restrict any use of the Kings River under this section may be made by any interested person in accordance with section 165 of this Ordinance Code.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3552, effective 05-02-19)
In addition to the prohibitions of section 2-03-1135, it shall be unlawful to do any of the following on the Kings River:
(a) 
Operate a motorboat at any time on any portion of the River in excess of thirty (30) miles per hour.
(b) 
Operate a boat or swim in violation or disregard of any posted restrictions in any areas designated under section 2-03-1150.
(c) 
Operate a motorboat at any time on any portion of the River in excess of five (5) miles per hour when within one hundred (100) feet of a swimmer or sailboat or other boat not under power.
(d) 
Operate a motorboat at any time on the River in excess of five (5) miles per hour when within two (200) hundred feet of a swimming area designated pursuant to section 2-03-1150 or a boat launch area designated pursuant to section 2-03-1150.
(e) 
Operate a motorboat on any portion of the River in excess of five (5) miles per hour from sundown until sunrise of any day.
(f) 
Operate a motorboat on any portion of the River in excess of five (5) miles per hour when the water release from the Pine Flat Dam is less than eight hundred (800) cubic feet per second as measured at the Highway 99 bridge crossing east of Riverland and announced by the Kings River Watermaster and posted at all launch sites along the River designated under section 2-03-1150 by the Director.
(g) 
Operate a motorboat within one hundred feet of another boat when crossing the wake of the other boat.
(h) 
Operate a boat other than a raft within fifty feet (50) of a swimming area designated under section 2-03-1150.
(i) 
Operate a boat at any time on any portion of the Kings River in a clockwise direction of travel in relation to the center of the river or any island or obstruction encircled by the River. Travel shall be in a counter-clockwise direction only.
(a) 
It shall be unlawful to sponsor, hold, conduct, participate in, or to cause, aid, advise or encourage the conduct of any races, boat races, speed contests, exhibitions of speed, time trials, record runs or trial runs in preparation of any such event on the River unless a permit is issued for such activities as set forth in § 2-03-1025. The foregoing events are unlawful, without permit, regardless of whether or not entry fees are charged or prizes are awarded.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful to sponsor, hold, conduct, participate in, or to cause, aid, advise or encourage, or to operate any equipment or facilities in any parasailing or hang gliding activity or in any activity in which three or more water skiers or aquaplaners are towed behind any boat on the River unless a permit is issued for such activities as set forth in § 2-03-1025.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful to sponsor, hold, conduct, participate in, or to cause, aid, advise or encourage the conduct of any water carnivals, boat regattas, music festivals, dramatic presentations, water shows, group sporting events or group outings on the River unless a permit is issued for such activities as set forth in § 2-03-1025.
(d) 
It shall be unlawful to place or operate any boat on the River for a fee or profit without a permit issued as set forth in § 2-03-1025.
(e) 
It shall be unlawful to engage in, sponsor, hold, conduct, participate in, or to cause, aid, advise or encourage in any stunt riding on the River unless a permit is issued for such activities as set forth in § 2-03-1025.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3552, effective 05-02-19)
The Tulare County Sheriff may designate, and cause to be appropriately marked, boat launching areas, areas designated exclusively for swimming, areas where swimming is prohibited, areas where diving into the water is prohibited, areas where boats are prohibited, passageways for boats, areas of restricted speed or "slow" areas and other areas in which engaging in specified activities shall be prohibited or permitted, and may change the same from time to time as the public safety and welfare may require, and when so marked it shall be unlawful for any person to fail to comply with such designations.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3552, effective 05-02-19)
It shall be unlawful to secure any floating or stationary mooring facilities to, or interfering with, a buoy, channel marker, designated area marker or other navigational aid upon the River. It shall be unlawful to move, remove or interfere with any buoy, channel marker, designated area marker or other navigational aid placed upon the River by under section 2-03-1150.