Big Boats On Danbury's Candlewood Lake Now Need Special Registration

DANBURY, Conn. -- Any boat larger than 26 feet on Danbury's Candlewood Lake will now need to display a special authorization decal from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection or the owner will face a $75 fine.

Conn. DEEP will begin enforcing a new rule on boats larger than 26 feet long on Candlewood Lake in Danbury.
Photo Credit: *Flickr user Paulo Ordoveza*

by Eric Gendron

09/06/2013 5:00 a.m.

The state implemented the new rule in March and gave boaters a six-month grace period to acquire the decal. Police will now strictly enforce the rule starting Saturday, Sept. 7.

Police may also make boats in violation of the new rule return to shore in addition to fining the boat owner the $75.

Decals are available until the end of 2014, and there is no cost to obtain one. Connecticut DEEP has issued 140 decals so far.

The state decided to implement the rule after a recent increase in boat traffic on the lake.

“Requests for decals have been steady and are still coming in,” DEEP Boating Division Director Eleanor Mariani said in a statement. "Based on a prior boat count, we believe most boaters with oversized vessels have received the required authorization decal. However, we encourage those boaters that can document time on the lake, as required, to come forward now as the grandfather period for oversized boats will come to an end.”

For more information, contact Tim Delgado in the Boating Division at 860-447-4354 or via email.

Click here to visit the DEEP boating page to download an application for oversized vessel passes.

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