[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7686]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LAKE HAVASU MARINE ASSOCIATION

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 8, 2014

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Lake Havasu 
Marine Association on being awarded the 2013 Hollister Award for 
Outstanding Service in the Field Of Boating Safety. The Lake Havasu 
Marine Association (LHMA) has made impressive progress since it was 
founded over 30 years ago. I would like to specifically recognize their 
``Pack it In, Pack it Out,'' ``Designated Operator,'' and Lake Havasu 
River Channel projects.
  The ``Pack it In, Pack it Out'' campaign was created in 2008 by the 
members of the LHMA and paid for by funding from private donors. 
Through this program, 150,000 trash bags have been provided to boaters 
each year. Over the span of four years, 450,000 bags have been 
distributed and over one million pounds of trash have been removed from 
the shorelines of Lake Havasu.
  The LHMA also assisted in the development of the ``Designated 
Operator'' campaign spearheaded by Carl Flusche, Vice Chairman of the 
Association. The aim of this campaign is to reduce the incidence of 
accidents and fatalities related to alcohol use on the Colorado River 
and Lake Havasu. One of the unique and innovative elements of the 
program is the creation of latex wristbands that are designed and 
purchased by sponsors and distributed to ``designated boat operators'' 
who have made a commitment to remain sober while operating a 
watercraft. Local businesses have sponsored the program and provide 
non-alcoholic beverages at no cost to those who have made this 
commitment. As the program continues to gain support among the boaters 
of Lake Havasu, it has also garnered national attention for its 
efficacy. Thanks to the leadership of Mr. Flusche and the innovative 
work of the Association, boating safety has improved and there has been 
a notable increase in the number of boaters taking charge of their 
safety and utilizing designated watercraft operators.
  Finally, the LHMA has supported boating safety by spearheading the 
Lake Havasu River Channel Project to deepen a channel through shallow 
delta sediments in a half-mile stretch on the upper side of Lake 
Havasu. The dredging project increased the channel depth from 
approximately two feet to four feet. It also marked the channel with 
buoys to alert boaters of the depth and created a ``no wake zone.'' 
This project will undoubtedly relieve congestion and increase boating 
safety.
  Congratulations to the Lake Havasu Marine Association for taking 
these steps to increase boating safety.

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