What is the process to build a artificial reef legally?

[Mr. Sandman]

This is something I would like to peruse if it does not involve an act of God.

I thought about just building my of FAD and not telling anyone but what would it take to do it legally?


I would love to sink something BIG but lets assume just cement reef balls for the moment. How does one even start?

[ProfessorM]

you will have some as soon as the windmills go in.

[JohnnySaxatilis]

Big money involved, my friend's Dad made a fortune sinking ships past couple decades. Talk to the NOAA and some millionaires after they put the windmills in

[afterhours]

gov't will complicate the chit out of everything and multiply the difficulty factor 1000 fold. you know what to do....

[Bronko]

I know its done in the Keys. Some charter guys have built "their own" reefs. Using concrete rubble, cement balls, rebar etc... One old timer I used to fish with said they would often do it way out in the gulf and set them up between a couple of really good reefs/coral heads. So they basically make thier mini-reef a rest-stop between the two big natural habitats.

[MakoMike]

Permits from the Corps of engineers and the state (if in state waters)

[Mr. Sandman]

I found the state document (report) on their policy ( http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/progr...eef_policy.pdf )

Here they claim it is their role:

"Because of the potential long-term effects of altering the environment through artificial reef development,
and the potential impacts of artificial reefs on finfish and shellfish stocks, eligibility to hold a permit to
develop an artificial reef should be restricted to the appropriate state fishery management agency.
MarineFisheries holds the public trust in managing fisheries resources and is the principal entity that can
demonstrate long-term accountability for liability required in artificial reef permits."



Below is the outline of what agencys are needed: Looks like a cluster#^&#^&#^&#^& of epic proportions and is the reason this state is light years behind other states in art. reef development.

V. ARTIFICIAL REEF PERMITTING GUIDELINES........................................ ................................................27
5.1 FEDERAL ROLE .................................................. .................................................. ..............................................28
5.1.1 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers .................................................. ............................................28
5.1.2 - Department of Interior .................................................. .................................................. .......31
5.1.3 - The US Fish and Wildlife Service .................................................. .......................................31
5.1.4 - The Minerals Management Service .................................................. ..................................... 32
5.1.5 – National Marine Fisheries Service .................................................. ......................................32
5.1.6 - The National Ocean Service .................................................. ................................................32
5.1.7 - Department of Defense .................................................. .................................................. ......33
5.1.8 - United States Coast Guard............................................. .................................................. ......33
5.1.9 - Maritime Administration .................................................. .................................................. ...33
5.1.10 - The Environmental Protection Agency............................................ ....................................33
5.1.11 - National Environmental Policy Act .................................................. ...................................34
5.1.12 - Federal Consistency Review Procedures .................................................. ...........................34
5.2 STATE ROLE.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .....36
5.2.1 - Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act............................................... ...............................36
5.2.2 - Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and Rivers Protection Act......................................37
5.2.3 - Public Waterfront Act (Chapter 91)............................................... ........................................37
5.2.4 - 401 Water Quality Certification..................................... .................................................. ......37
5.2.5 - State Fisheries Regulations....................................... .................................................. ...........38
5.2.6 - Areas of Critical Environmental Concern........................................... ...................................38
5.2.7 - Underwater Archaeological Resources......................................... .........................................39
5.2.8 - Ocean Sanctuaries Act .................................................. .................................................. .......39
5.2.9 - Designated Port Areas .................................................. .................................................. .......40
5.3 LOCAL ROLE.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....40
5.3.1 - Zoning By-Laws .................................................. .................................................. ................40
5.4 INTERSTATE MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSIONS....................................... .................................................. ........41

[numbskull]

I know where there is a derelict 60 foot small wooden trawler, stripped of mechanicals but afloat, that you could load with ballast then tow with your boat. If it just happened to sink behind the Vineyard I doubt there would be much red tape involved.

[Swimmer]

A ship has to be made completely sterile, wooden vessels need not apply.. I watched the feds sink a carrier somewhere in the last few years. It took a lot of dynamite to get it down.

[Swimmer]

They had cement ones on a show with Mike Rowe on "how its made one day". Guy commercially made them in Florida or maybe Califonia and was paid to place them.

[ProfessorM]

You will have to compete with these guys on the south side too. I would say you will have lots of structures out there to attract fish in another 20 years.

Developers lining up for wind farm project - Business - The Boston Globe

[Mr. Sandman]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

You will have to compete with these guys on the south side too. I would say you will have lots of structures out there to attract fish in another 20 years.

Developers lining up for wind farm project - Business - The Boston Globe

It will become a reef for sure but I will probably dead before it collapses into the sea. And it is doubtful they will let you fish near it , the entire area will be off limits to boating, fishing etc. Install wind power in MA in 2012 is 60 Megawatts. The horseshoe shoal plant would produce 4000 (on a good year). To put this in perspective, the current Net Generation for MA 47,515,443 . A drop in the bucket.

That said I am somewhat supportive of it. I think it is foolish to think that wind power is this nations solution to energy. We need to move to Nat gas for the next 100-200 years while developing a serious new form of atomic energy. Cold fusion is the globes ultimate solution. But I like to see us pushing all energy technologies, some will work and others will not but to advance as a whole we need to push the tech. GO ma GO, drill baby drill, ....you get the idea.

[big jay]

I'm fairly certain the lobster diver from p-town doesn't bother with the permits.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Mr. Sandman]

In my brief research on the topic...In 1997 the state of MA deployed a bunch of reef balls off Salters point in Dartmouth. Has anyone fished these?????

NewStandard: 7/23/97

NewStandard: 7/6/97


In 1997, MarineFisheries, in partnership with the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (UMD),
planned and developed a more sophisticated artificial reef project. The Dartmouth Artificial Reef project
was supported by state funds and implemented with the encouragement and support of local and state
officials. The 3.5 acre site is located in Buzzards Bay, southwest of Salter’s Point in Dartmouth, and is
composed of prefabricated concrete units (“reef balls”). The reef balls occupy a total footprint of
approximately 242 square yards, or less than two percent of the total area of the permitted site. Annual
inspections revealed that this deployment has remained stable and seasonally supports numerous species
of structure-oriented fish such as cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus), tautog (Tautoga onita), scup
(Stenotomus chrysops), and black sea bass (Centropristis striata).

[thefishingfreak]

I would recommend you spend your time and energy searching for the structure that's already there.
The last 2 years I've made a real effort to locate and fish every shipwreck and hump In my area. There are many many many wrecks I have located using google maps or navionics plus just spending the time to grid search any wreck symbols on the charts. Chances are the symbol is way off but more often than not the wreck is there and holding fish.
Dive books and dive websites are great for this also.
Here's 2 spots I found on navionics close to the vineyard that I would definitely check out closer.


Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by thefishingfreak

I would recommend you spend your time and energy searching for the structure that's already there.
The last 2 years I've made a real effort to locate and fish every shipwreck and hump In my area. There are many many many wrecks I have located using google maps or navionics plus just spending the time to grid search any wreck symbols on the charts. Chances are the symbol is way off but more often than not the wreck is there and holding fish.
Dive books and dive websites are great for this also.
Here's 2 spots I found on navionics close to the vineyard that I would definitely check out closer.


Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Need some Lat/Lon with those depressions/humps..

[tlapinski]

I was recently talking to a CT charter captain about this topic. We agreed that if it works and is even widely supported down south, why not give it a shot up here? I can't fathom why it is appartently so much easier down south. Jim, if you're interested in putting this into an article of some sort, drop me a line at tlapinski@thefisherman.com and we can talk more.

[Mr. Sandman]

Tlap,

I don't have the motovation to do an artical but feel free to take the ball and run with it. I know someone who is active in the artificial reef program in NJ. The just sunk the Radford not too long ago.USS Arthur W. Radford to become longest vessel reefed off Cape May coast | NJ.com

He also was involved with this:




I could put you in touch with him if you like

I was hoping they would sink the old MV ferry the Islander, south of the island but I was shunned and most people see something like that wrong. I see it as as the ship giving back forever...right now it is in the scrap yard in NJ being up up for razor blades.

[zacs]

they took the jamestown bridge debris and made 3 nice artificial reefs in RI, so it is being done up here to an extent...

[chefchris401]

not that its the same thing, but a big freshwater pond we fish, guys started dragging xmas tress out on the ice in making a natural habitat for bass/crappy/ etc.

the bottom was almost dead flat with lil structure, now there is 3 or 4 tree piles that hold a great number of fish.