Hendersonville, TN Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 500 feet from water intake
- Fine
- $50 per day
- Waterway
- Drakes Creek
- Source
- Ord. 1979-41, § 11-806
Summary
Hendersonville bans commercial and private boat docks within 500 feet of the public water intake on Drakes Creek, with a $50 fine for every day of violation.
It is hereby declared unlawful for commercial or private boat docking facilities to be established within five hundred (500') feet of a public water intake point on Drakes Creek. The establishment of boat docking facilities shall include the docking inside boathouses or the tying of boats to land or to the outside of boathouses. Each day that a boat is docked within five hundred (500') feet of the water intake shall constitute a separate violation, and each violation shall be subject to a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00.)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Hendersonville Municipal Code § 11-806, adopted by Ordinance 1979-41, prohibits establishing commercial or private boat docking facilities within 500 feet of a public water intake point on Drakes Creek in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee. The ban covers docking inside boathouses and tying boats to land or to the outside of boathouses. Each day a boat remains docked within that 500-foot buffer is a separate violation, fined $50 per day. The section is a locational prohibition tied to protecting the water intake, not a general dock permitting scheme.
Violations & Fines
Each day a boat sits docked within 500 feet of the Drakes Creek public water intake is a separate offense, fined $50 per violation under § 11-806.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a boat dock near the Drakes Creek water intake in Hendersonville?
What's the penalty for docking too close to the intake?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hendersonville
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