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This Week at the U.S. Coast Guard — week of June 8, 2026

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The Coast Guard’s week was mostly routine safety work: temporary zones to keep boaters clear of summer fireworks displays and open-water swim events, plus a long-term navigation restriction for a New Hampshire bridge demolition and a few administrative rule changes.

Fireworks Safety Zones

  • Monongahela River, West Virginia: A half-mile safety zone was set near Rivesville between mile markers 122 and 122.5, closing that stretch for two hours on one evening to keep boats and people clear of an active fireworks launch site.

  • Laguna Madre, Texas: A temporary zone surrounds a fireworks barge near South Padre Island, covering all navigable waters within 700 feet of the launch coordinates. It keeps recreational boaters out of the blast radius during displays on specific evenings.

  • Michigan waterways: Temporary safety zones apply around fireworks displays launched from barges or docks along the Great Lakes and connecting waterways during June and July 2026, on specific dates and times.

  • Ohio River, Henderson, Kentucky: The river between mile markers 803 and 805 closes from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 3, 2026. The rule was issued without a public comment period because there was not enough time before the event date.

  • Eastern Great Lakes: Existing safety zones for annual July events are activated. Boaters cannot enter, transit, or anchor in these areas during enforcement periods without permission from the Captain of the Port.

  • Toledo, Ohio: A temporary zone on the Maumee River applies from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4, 2026, for the city’s annual fireworks display.

  • Columbia River Sector, Oregon and Washington: Safety zones extend 450 yards from each fireworks launch site to keep boaters clear during summer displays.

  • Put-In-Bay, Ohio: A temporary safety zone in Lake Erie applies during the annual July 4 fireworks display, keeping boaters away from fireworks barges and emergency vessels in a high-traffic area.

  • Perrysburg, Ohio: A temporary zone on the Maumee River covers all navigable waters within 375 yards of a fireworks display site on Rapids Road, limiting access for a few hours.

Swim Event Safety Zones

  • Key West, Florida: A temporary safety zone is enforced on June 13, 2026, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the College of the Florida Keys Swim Around Key West. Unauthorized vessels are barred from the swim course while participants are in the water.

  • Charleston, South Carolina: Portions of the Wando and Cooper Rivers are closed on June 13, 2026, during the Low Country Splash swim event, keeping boat traffic from interfering with swimmers and emergency response.

Long-Term Bridge Demolition Restriction

  • Piscataqua River, Newington, New Hampshire: A temporary Regulated Navigation Area around the General Sullivan Bridge is in effect from June 10, 2026, through March 31, 2027. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is demolishing the bridge’s deck and superstructure, and crane barges and heavy equipment in the channel create hazardous conditions requiring navigation restrictions.

Proposed Rules and Administrative Cleanups

  • Hudson River, New York: The Coast Guard proposes banning anchoring between Yonkers and Kingston, implementing a requirement from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. If finalized, it gives ship captains a clearer legal boundary for where anchoring is prohibited, except in pre-existing zones or emergencies.

  • Sector Delaware Bay, East District: A proposal would add four new recurring marine events to the permanent Special Local Regulations table and revise three existing entries. This formalizes safety zones that were previously managed through temporary rules, improving clarity for event sponsors and boaters.

  • Big Carlos Pass, Florida: The Coast Guard is removing an outdated regulation governing how the SR 865 bridge opened and closed over the pass. The structure is now a fixed bridge, so the old drawbridge rules no longer apply; the change has no impact on waterway or land traffic.

This weekly agency digest is generated from federal records (the Federal Register and Congress.gov) and summarized in plain English. It may simplify or omit detail — follow the linked official sources before relying on any item. Part of The Boring Parts.

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