By: Chad Engle, Loss Prevention Manager and Safety Specialist
Key Risk Considerations for NIRMA Members
Public boat ramps are often viewed as simple access points to waterways, but in reality they represent very complex and liability-prone facilities owned and managed by some NIRMA members. A great resource explaining key considerations is the white paper: Boat Ramp Risk Management for Local Governments. As detailed in this paper, boat ramps combine transportation exposure, water hazards, infrastructure risks, and public safety challenges into a single operational environment.
For NIRMA members who own or are responsible for maintaining boat ramps, the key takeaway is clear: boat ramps should be managed as critical infrastructure—not passive recreational amenities.
Owners of boat ramps face growing exposure due to several converging trends
- Increased recreational use leading to congestion and more inexperienced users
- Aging infrastructure with deferred maintenance and design limitations
- Environmental pressures such as flooding, erosion, and extreme weather
- Rising litigation severity and higher expectations for public safety
These pressures are driving insurers and risk pools to classify boat ramps as high-severity exposure locations.
Core Risk Areas
Following is a summary of risk categories counties must manage:
Vehicle and Traffic Exposure
Boat ramps function somewhat similarly to roads, requiring careful management of vehicle circulation, trailer maneuvering, and pedestrian interaction. Incidents such as vehicle submersions, collisions, and trailer failures are common.
Slip-and-Fall Hazards
Constant moisture, algae buildup, and surface deterioration make slip-and-fall injuries one of the most frequent claims.
Drowning and Catastrophic Injury
Water-related accidents with injuries to those using the boat ramp represent the most severe liability exposure. Negligence and wrongful death claims arising from poor maintenance or lack of warning signs can involve significant verdicts or settlements.
ADA and Accessibility Compliance
Noncompliant slopes, access routes, and loading areas can result in legal exposure and federal scrutiny.
Environmental Exposure
Fuel spills, runoff issues, and shoreline erosion can trigger regulatory enforcement, cleanup costs, and environmental claims.
What Drives Liability
Counties face increased liability when certain operational weaknesses are present:
- Deferred maintenance and aging infrastructure
- Inadequate or undocumented inspections
- Failure to fix or properly warn of known or recurring hazards
- Lack of access control or site oversight
As emphasized in the white paper, Boat Ramp Risk Management for Local Governments, documentation is critical—if inspections and corrective actions are not documented, legal defensibility of claims is significantly weakened.
A Note on Associated Facilities
Many Nebraska boat ramp sites also include picnic shelters, restrooms, and other recreational amenities. While secondary to the ramp itself, these facilities (whether county owned or not) expand overall boat ramp exposures by increasing visitor use, dwell time, and maintenance demands.
From a risk management perspective, if county-owned, these structures should be incorporated into the same inspection, maintenance, and documentation systems used for the ramp to ensure consistent oversight.
Practical Risk Reduction Strategies
NIRMA recommends that its members move from reactive maintenance to structured risk management by:
- Implementing formal inspection programs with documented findings
- Performing regular preventive maintenance
- Improving surface traction and drainage
- Controlling traffic flow with signage
- Expanding lighting, visibility, and access control measures
- Installing rescue equipment and clearly marking known hazards
- Using incident and operational data to identify trends early
These steps not only reduce incidents but also strengthen a county’s ability to defend against claims.
Source and Credit
Rhoad, J. Todd. Boat Ramp Risk Management for Local Governments. Peachtree Recovery Services, Inc., 2026.
