No-wake zone/Ohio River closure times happening this weekend

A no-wake zone and a closure on the Ohio River will occur from Sunday to early Monday morning for Riverfest.

The no-wake zone — when a boat must reduce its speed to the slowest it can travel while still maintaining the ability to steer and move forward — will be on the Ohio River from the Riverside Park Boat Ramp to the Four Seasons Marina and Aqua Ramp Marinas and on the Licking River.

The closure will be from mile 0.0 to mile 0.3 and will be enforced from noon on Sunday, Sept. 3 to 3 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 4.

Additionally, the river will be closed to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic in the downtown Cincinnati area from Ohio River mile 469.2 to mile 470.5 and Licking River mile 0.0 to 0.3 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  

During the river closure, no vessel traffic, including commercial or recreational vessels, personal watercraft, or sailing vessels, will be allowed to transit, launch, or leave any Kentucky or Ohio harbors or ramps located within the river closure without permission from the Coast Guard.

There will be three anchorage areas within the river closure, and vessels intending to anchor in those areas must do so before the river closure announcement is made at 7 p.m. Anchorage one will extend 300 feet from the Kentucky shoreline between Ohio River mile 470.5 to 470.7, Anchorage two will extend 300 feet from the Ohio shoreline between Ohio River mile 469.2 and 469.6, and Anchorage three will extend 300 feet from the Kentucky shoreline between Ohio River mile 469.2 and 469.6.

Vessel movement within the river closure area prior to 7 p.m. must be with the intent to anchor or transit through. All vessels in these anchorage areas must remain inside the buoys marking the anchorage. Event vessels will be maintaining the anchorage areas within the closure zone. All event patrols will be clearly marked.

Boating communication system PATCOM can be reached on channel 16 VHF FM between 10 a.m. and midnight on the day of the event. Announcements will be made on Marine Channel 16 and 22A VHF-FM for river closure and opening announcements. 

Federal, state, and local law enforcement and fire/rescue/EMS agencies will be patrolling the river and enforcing the no-wake zone and river closure.