The United States Coast Guard Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley will be establishing a no wake zone and a river closure on the Ohio River in advance of Sunday night’s Riverfest fireworks.
The no wake zone will be on the Ohio River from mile 477.0 (beyond Riverside Park Boat Ramp) to mile 463.0 (Four Seasons Marina and Aqua ramp Marinas) and on the Licking River from mile 0.0 to mile 0.3 and will be enforced from 12 p.m. on Sunday September 3 to 3 a.m. on Monday, September 4.
Additionally, the river will be closed to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic in the downtown Cincinnati area from Ohio River mile 469.2 to mile 470.5 and Licking River mile 0.0 to 0.3 from 7-10 p.m.
During the river closure, no vessel traffic, including commercial or recreational vessels, personal watercrafts, or sailing vessels will be allowed to transit, launch, or leave any Kentucky or Ohio harbors or ramps located within this river closure without the permission of the Coast Guard. There will be three anchorage areas within the river closure and vessels intending to anchor in those
anchorage areas must do so before the river closure announcement is made at 7 p.m.
Anchorage 1 will extend 300 feet from the Kentucky shoreline between Ohio River mile 470.5 to 470.7, Anchorage 2 will extend 300 feet from the Ohio shoreline between Ohio River mile 469.2 and 469.6, and Anchorage 3 will extend 300 feet from the Kentucky shoreline between Ohio River mile 469.2 and 469.6.
Vessel movement within this river closure area prior to 7 p.m. must be with the sole intent to anchor or transit through. All vessels in these anchorage areas MUST remain inside the buoys marking the anchorage. Event vessels will be maintaining the anchorage areas within the closure zone. All event patrol will be clearly marked. PATCOM may be reached on channel 16 VHF-FM between 10 a.m. and midnight the day of the event. Announcements will be made on Marine Channel 16 and 22A VHF-FM for river closure and opening announcements.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement and Fire/Rescue/EMS agencies will be patrolling the river and enforcing the no wake zone, river closure, and federal, state, and local laws. In total, there are typically approximately 25(+-) Fire/Rescue and LEO boats from Covington Fire, Boone County Water Rescue, Cincinnati FD & PD, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Kentucky Fish/Wildlife, Hebron
FD, Bellevue/Dayton FD, New Richmond, Pendleton County SAR, Hamilton County Sheriff, and US Coast Guard patrolling waterways, providing emergency medical care, safety, security for first response emergencies.
This information has been provided by the US Coast Guard and local emergency management agencies.