One of Jefferson Parish’s greatest assets is its direct access to a variety of
water resources. From Lake
Ponchartrain, to the Mississippi River, to the Gulf of Mexico and all of the
bayous, lakes, canals and bays in between, the citizens and visitors of our
parish truly get to experience our “sportsman’s paradise”.
With all of water in our parish, boating, both commercial and recreational, has
always been part of our cultural heritage.
Unfortunately, as the number of boats entering the water increases, the
number of accidents also increases.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries has primary responsibility for patrolling the interior waterways
of the parish, including Lake Ponchartrain
and the many bayous and lakes in the southern part of the parish. The
U.S. Coast Guard operates mostly
offshore and in and around the Mississippi River and
Grand Isle Gulf
Shore area.
The
JPSO Land, Air, and Sea Emergency Recue (LASER)
Division assists these agencies in patrolling the waterways and responding
to emergencies when called upon. We
have a number of boats and divers on stand-by.
Our departmental helicopter is also used for overhead searches or rescues
at times.
Boating can be a very enjoyable experience when done properly. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries offers a “Boating Basics Class” that includes information on how to choose a boat,
boat classifications, hulls, legal requirements, navigation rules, how to read
navigation charts, and related subjects.
The classes typically last 6 to 8 hours and can be completed in a day. Completion of the course results in
the student being issued a “vessel operator’s license”.
The JPSO strongly encourages
your participation in this class.
Click here
to access the Online
Louisiana Boating Safety Course web page (www.boat-ed.com/la/index.html).
Click here
to access the Wildlife and Fisheries
Boating Safety Page for additional safety tips and boating information
(www.wlf.state.la.us/boating/).
Click here
to access a Basic Overview of Boating site.
To report the hazardous operation of a boat or any other boating emergency, dial
“911”.