Is there a noise restriction for boats on the Colorado River?
Yes. An effective muffling system is required for the exhaust of each engine. Any boat operated on the waters of Colorado must be muffled with a permanently installed muffler or similar device to effectively reduce noise. Specifically: No person shall operate a vessel in Colorado that emits a sound level in excess of 86 decibels on “A” weighted scale when measured from a distance of 50 feet or more from the vessel. In general, do not modify your factory exhaust if the result makes it louder! Loud boat noise not only bothers other operators and users of the waterways, it can also disrupt peace ashore because of sound’s ability to travel great distances over water. Excessive noise can also prevent a boat operator from hearing other boats’ sound signals and warnings and can prevent you from hearing approaching law or rescue personnel. http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/statelaws/Colorado.
