Committee approves legislation to keep boat houses on Ellis Harbor

Legislation to allow boat houses to remain on Ellis Harbor was unanimously approved by the House Natural Resources Committee Thursday.

The bill, which was written specifically to preserve the boat house community on the Cedar River, was amended to tighten the language to prevent it being used to put boat houses on other state waters

“I want to keep this as narrow as possible,” Chairman Paul Bell, D-Newton, said. “I don't want this to be a precedent-setting issue for any other lakes or rivers.”

The bill, which has the backing of Gov. Chet Culver, cleared a subcommittee Wednesday evening and the full committee Thursday to beat the Legislature's self-imposed deadline for non-money bills to clear at least one standing committee of the House or Senate to stay alive for debate this year.

Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt, D-Cedar Rapids, said the bill will allow boat house owners to continue to use barrels as flotation devices, instead of the foam the Department of Natural Resources prefers, and to transfer dock permits to family members. If the permits are not transferred, HF 2293 would have the DNR make them available for purchase.

Under the principle of sovereign waters, the DNR objects to the boat house on the river. The department compares the boats on the water to someone building a house in a state park.

The Ellis Harbor group has found evidence of boat houses on the river since the 1920s. In some cases, Deanna McLaud said, present boat house owners are the fifth generation of their family to dock in Ellis Harbor. The land to create the inner harbor was donated to the city to develop a place for boat houses to dock, she said.