DBW-50thAnnBook-PROOF

Mike also worked on safety education programs for Cal Boating, including the Home Study Course. “Boating home study courses were invented right here,” says Mike. The original course, The Adventure Afloat Program, was geared for high school students and included an instructor’s version. Later, home study materials were made available to the public and even sold by Cal Boating for $2.00. With modifications, other states began to use California’s course for their own boating programs. The idea developed by the department more than 30 years ago is now used by all states, and Cal Boating provides 35,000 copies of its “California Boating: A Course for Safe Boating” to boaters each year. Mike’s efforts on the 1986 Boating Safety Report complemented his other education projects and are among the accomplishments of which he is most proud. “This report helped justify the alcohol level law that was later passed by the California Legislature, which gave law enforcement officers the tools to fight drunk boating,” notes Mike. “Before the legislation, it was really the ‘Wild West’ out there on the water.” Mike’s successful development of the Sacramento State Aquatic Center as well as three California river projects has been recognized with awards from the States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA). He is also worked on a number of Cal Boating programs: accident reporting, law enforcement officer training, and facilities project management. But his heart lies in boating trails. “I’ve been an active kayaker on all the state’s rivers,” says Mike, “and I saw the need to improve public access in various locations.” When state bond funds did not come through to support some of his boating trails access projects, Mike sought some of the federal money administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. “Each state is entitled to a share of these federal funds based on its number of registered boaters,” explains Mike, “so we tapped into this source for California.”

Boating Instruction Safety Center

The Aquatic Center at Lake Natoma, operated by Sacramento State University, grew from an idea that Cal Boating employee Mike Ammon had more than 30 years ago: to build an aquatic education facility that would provide in-the-water and in-the- classroom boating safety classes. In 1981, Mike discovered that waterfront land controlled by the California Department of Parks and Recreation was available at Lake Natoma. State Parks was going to use an old paint center on the site for storage, but Cal Boating and CSU Sacramento had another idea. Starting out with just a few 40-foot storage containers and the purchase of kayaks, sailboats and canoes, the Aquatic Center took off and slowly began to grow. Recently, Cal Boating provided $3,850,000 in capital outlay funds to create and improve this boating instruction and safety center, which is modeled after the Mission Bay Aquatic Center in San Diego. The new Aquatic Center, completed in 2005, has evolved to a top-notch facility with 10,000 boaters and members of the public participating each year. (continued page 25)

...1976

The boating education course developed by Cal Boating 31 years ago (first edition shown at right), is now used in all states. Cal Boating provides 35,000 copies of “California Boating: A Course for Safe Boating” to boaters each year.

Department sponsors legislation to provide grants to public agencies for construction of floating restrooms, thus lessening environmental degradation. “S.S. Relief” begins its voyage!

20

50 Years: The Department of Boating and Waterways, 1957 to 2007