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become noticeably quieter. They will eventually be replaced by new, quieter 

 craft. 



Powered boats will always create some sound. However, it is of short 

 duration, soon lost in the natural noise of a flowing river. Tremendous progress 

 has been made in the last few years that will eventually remove sound as a 

 serious concem in environments such as Hells Canyon. 



Speed also is often cited as a problem and is often misunderstood. 

 Recreational jet boats have certain speeds where they operate most efficiently. 

 This varies from one craft to another, depending on load, bottom design and 

 other factors. Most jet boats won't plane until they reach a threshold speed of 

 20 to 28 miles per hour. Top speeds usually range from 40 to 50 miles per hour, 

 depending on load, engine power and other factors. But, high speeds are fuel 

 hungry and tough on engines; if the boat moves too slow, efficiency also 

 plummets. Too fast is expensive and too slow is expensive. That efficient 

 middle ground most boaters aim for usually moves them at 28 to 35 miles per 

 hour, slowing to tune the boat to the waves in Whitewater and speeding up in 

 shallow areas. 



To a point, jet boats are more maneuverable with higher speed. In making a 

 hard tum, for example, the boater may slow before the turn, then feed power as 

 he goes through the tum, maintaining good adhesion between boat and water. 

 The faster a jet boat moves, the less wake it makes. Wakes are largest as boats 

 climb onto plane, drop off plane or wallow at slow speed. At very slow idling 

 speeds boats don't cause a wake; we call this no-wake speed. However, when 

 moving up river against a fast current, it is impossible to idle at a no-wake 

 speed and still move up river. The best choice in this situation is to eddy up and 

 wait for downstream traffic to pass or speed up to minimize the wake and pass 

 craft tied to the bank. 



Those floaters who take the time to learn about jet boats and how they work 

 will have little heartbum over the speeds of the jet boats they encounter. Power 

 boaters, of course, must also be sensitive to the needs and concerns of floaters. 

 Other Land Based Resources 



We have heard power boating's detractors describe floating as 

 "environmentally benign" while typifying power boating as rape and pillage of 

 river resources. Both assertions are ridiculous, although they may sound logical 

 to those who know little about either activity. 



The average float party stays 2.4 days on the river. The average for power 

 boaters is 1.3 days. Since the popular one day floats, combined with a jet boat 

 ride back to Hells Canyon Dam, are prohibited under>the new plan, all float 

 trips will be forced to overnight on the river. The current average stay for 

 floaters will increase. The popular campsites in the wild river are occupied 



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