KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AVC News) — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Department of Transportation have received a national award recognizing their partnership to improve boating safety and protect access to Ohio waterways.
The agencies were presented with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ Compass Award during the association’s recent national conference. The award recognizes an agency each year for leadership, innovation and safety efforts in the maritime field.
ODNR and ODOT received the award for the Ohio Recreational Boating Memorandum of Understanding, an agreement the agencies say is the first known arrangement of its kind in the United States.
Signed Jan. 12, 2026, the agreement establishes standardized procedures for how ODOT plans, designs and constructs transportation projects that could affect rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and canals used by recreational boaters.
The agreement was developed through collaboration between ODNR’s Division of Parks and Watercraft, ODNR’s Office of Real Estate and Land Management and ODOT’s Office of Environmental Services.
Under the agreement, potential hazards are identified during the planning process, while agencies establish notification procedures, safe portage routes and signage and work to maintain boater access when possible.
The agreement also provides for shared resources and environmental considerations intended to reduce project delays and support safe working conditions for contractors working near waterways.
ODNR Director Mary Mertz said the partnership provides a model for agencies working together to address boating safety and public access.
The agencies said the agreement is intended to anticipate potential impacts as interest in paddlecraft, water trails and other outdoor recreation continues to grow in Ohio.
The Compass Award was created by NASBLA in 2009 and recognizes agencies whose work addresses emerging challenges and advances boating safety and security. NASBLA includes representatives from all 50 states and five U.S. territories.
Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by AVC News
