A warning for Texas boaters using E15 fuel from gas stations

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Boating season officially kicks off on Memorial Day weekend. It's a holiday when many North Texans hit up area lakes. 

But CBS11 has a new warning for boaters before heading out on the water this summer. The federal government plans to allow more ethanol in unleaded gas starting June 1 as a way to lower the skyrocketing cost of filling up cars and trucks.  

While that may not harm your vehicle, experts said it could ruin your boat. Ethanol is a type of alcohol that's also a fuel additive. It's already in most unleaded gas we buy.  

But the amount allowable will soon be increased to 15% to help reduce the cost we pay at the pump. 

Rick Wegman has a high end ski boat ready to run on Lake Ray Hubbard this summer.  

"Oh yeah," he said. "I'm excited about this year it's nice to kind of get out of the COVID pandemic and start socializing again, which is exciting obviously. So I'm pretty pumped up for that."

When Wegman hauls his boat out to East Texas he will be careful where he fills it up with gas.  

"There's always a concern with ethanol." 

Vanessa Lawson with NorTex Marine explained what that much ethanol in gas does to a boat.  

"You start your engine," she said, "and the fuel line goes or starts at the bottom of the tank so it sucks all that slime into your carburetor your fuel lines, it can cause a lot of issues."

The Coast Guard put out a warning that E15 gas makes marine engines run hotter and could even cause boat fires.  

"I'm very concerned especially if they're going to be adding more ethanol into the tanks. It would just be for the boat owners to be more aware," said Lawson. 

There are a number of gas retailers in North Texas that offer ethanol free gas. Those pumps usually have a blue nozzle. People can also get it by filling up at most marinas.