How were new rules, including an alcohol ban, enforced on Lake Murray’s Bundrick Island?
The first summer boating season under a new set of state regulations has come and gone on Bundrick Island. This was the first season the state prohibited drinking on the Lake Murray island’s beaches.
Over the summer, Bundrick Island saw 26 violations cited by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, but none for alcohol.
Instead, the island — a popular day-tripping spot for boaters on the shores of Lake Murray managed by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources — primarily saw tickets issued for boating violations between the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends this year, according to records released by the department.
Eight violations were cited on the island and its beaches, while another 18 were issued to watercraft nearby.
The only alcohol-related violations were a pair of boating under the influence citations issued on June 15 on Sandy Beach on the east side of the island, informally known as the “party” side, and July 4 on the western “family” side of the island.
Some island visitors were cited for violating new regulations that came into force this summer. One was cited for illegal hunting on Memorial Day evening. That’s part of the new slate of rules for the island approved by DNR last spring, which prohibited the carrying of alcohol, firearms, all-terrain vehicles and hunting.
When The State visited Memorial Day weekend, boaters on Bundrick were mostly unconcerned with the new drinking rules and had not read the newly posted signs about the regulations. Many were drinking alcohol below the high-water mark on or near their boats, which is still allowed, and up on the beaches, which is not.
Two visitors to the island were cited for operating an illegal motor vehicle under rules that prohibit all-terrain vehicles, on June 15 and Aug. 17. Two tickets were issued after 11 p.m. June 21, for using a DNR-managed area during prohibited hours, another consequence of the new rules that close the island from sunset to sunrise.
Considering that dozens of boats crowd beaches on either side of the island on any given summer weekend, the numbers are slight, despite Bundrick’s reputation as a party spot.
The most commonly cited violations were negligent operation of a water device and having an expired decal, both of which happened five times. Three boats were cited for navigation light violations, and perhaps relatedly, two were cited for operating a craft between sunset and sunrise. Two vessels had no registration number on them.
One person was cited for not having enough usable personal flotation devices on a boat, and one person was cited for operating a jet ski without a cutoff device that would kill the craft’s power if the rider fell off — a legally mandated safety requirement.
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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