An obstruction to navigation is any human-made thing that makes traveling on a waterway more difficult or dangerous.
A wreck or a ship left anchored, moored or adrift, can also be an obstruction. A thing of natural origin isn’t an obstruction, unless someone causes it to affect navigation.
Notifying us about an obstruction
If you are responsible for an obstruction on a navigable water (one that the public has the right to travel on), you must:
- Immediately notify a regional office of the Navigation Protection Program (NPP) about the obstruction.
- Place a signal by day and a light by night to show the obstruction’s location.
- Immediately begin to remove the obstruction.
Reporting other obstructions
You may also report obstructions to navigation for which you’re not responsible. Contact your local NPP office.