Proposal floated for larger May River no-wake zone

For years, Bluffton residents and town leaders have lobbied the state to establish a no-wake zone along the May River between Old Town’s Oyster Factory Park dock and Calhoun Street dock.

Past applications have twice been shot down by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

The town is gearing up to make another application — but this time the scope of the no-wake zone could be expanded.

A town board that focuses on river issues discussed a proposal Tuesday offered by a local resident that would extend the proposed no-wake zone from Oyster Factory Park all the way to the tip of Myrtle Island.

This plan would expand the no-wake zone — which officials say would be a boon for safety and river ecology — from less than a quarter-mile to roughly two miles.

Wyatt Pringle, who brought the expanded no-wake idea to town officials, said the area between the Calhoun Street dock and Myrtle Island has “the greatest concentration of docks along the entire May River.”

And “because of the curvature” of the river in that area, “there is a lot erosion going on that is enhanced by boat traffic.”

Pringle said he has seen boats in the river around Myrtle Island “throwing up enough wake to surf on.”

That wake is “damaging the bluffs and the docks incrementally,” he said.

May River committee member said Barry Connor said Pringle’s proposal “should be looked at” by Bluffton Town Council “and see if it makes sense to them.”

The committee agreed, unanimously voting to forward Pringle’s proposal to the full council for consideration before submitting a new no-wake application to DNR.

While there was full support for the concept of an expanded no-wake zone, committee members and town staff said there could be problems with the proposal.

Stretching the zone to Myrtle Island “would be expanding into Beaufort County and outside of the town’s jurisdiction,” town director of engineering Kim Jones said.

Given the town’s unsuccessful past attempts at establishing a no-wake zone, river committee chairman Wes Jones said, “What concerns me is that if we start asking for too much, we won’t get anything.”

Jone said the town’s application — whether the original vision or the expanded proposal — will be reviewed by council and submitted to the state within the next 60 days.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Proposal floated for larger May River no-wake zone."