We asked readers about wake boats on Wisconsin lakes. Here's what you said.

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2 days ago

A large majority of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel readers who took a non-scientific poll want to see wake boat regulations at both the state and local levels.
We collected responses from 825 people May 24 to 31 amid the debate wake-enhanced boating, which uses ballast tanks to create large waves for surfing and tubing. The boats have raised concerns about shoreline erosion, damage to lakebeds and invasive species.
Here are the final results of our poll questions:
"Should wake-enhanced boating be regulated differently than other powerboat activities such as water-skiing?" Yes: 76%; No: 24%; No Opinion: 0%.
"If you think additional regulation is needed, where should they come from?" A combination of state and local: 53%; state government: 21%; local government: 16%; no opinion: 10%.
Wisconsin lawmakers have been meeting with organizations and advocates on both sides of the issue. A number of communities have restricted artificial wake activities, leading to a group suing the Town of Scott in Burnett County last week to overturn the regulations.
Three comments capture the sentiment of hundreds of responses from across Wisconsin and beyond:
➤"I am a lake resident in northern Wisconsin. Our lake (Crescent Lake) is to too small and shallow for safe wake surfing. Our shoreline is suffering damage as 2-4 foot waves crash our shore from a neighbor's wake boat. Further, lake residents have been working hard to prevent invasive species from expanding in our lake. Wake boats are an easy way for invasive spread due to their ballast tanks. We do not want these boats spreading additional invasive species from other lakes." — Tim Kilgore, Rhinelander
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➤"I have been around all types of boats my whole life: ski boats, kayaks, paddle boards, pontoons, jet skis you name it. In all of my time around these, I have come to find everyone feels like they are the one the lakes are for so they are selfish and never feel like their activity is appreciated or protected enough. There are safe and kind ways for everyone to use everything they'd like and still have enough room to be comfortable on lakes." — Gunnar Schiffmann, Saint Germain
➤"I own 19 acres on Sand Lake in Rusk County. Wake boats are a huge problem. Our shoreline is shrinking. We need your help!" — Tim McCarthy, Ripon
Our question about personal experiences with wake-enhanced boating drew the greatest number of responses. Here is a sampling:
➤"I live on a chain where the town and residents voted to ban wake surfing on the lakes. Erosion is not the biggest issue, safety of other lake users and bottom scouring as a result of the bow up operation is. The ballast tanks ... are significant potential transporters of invasive species from lake to lake." — Gary Engstrom, Winchester
➤"My disabled daughter had her wheelchair knocked over while anchored eating lunch in August. This could have killed her and this operation of his boat was legal under current regulation. This is like speed limits, drive your racecar 200 mph at a racetrack, not through the neighborhoods. Our cousin was thrown into the trolling motor while fishing. We've spent thousands on rip rap to stop our loss of property, which cannot be reclaimed per DNR." — David Whitehouse, New Auburn
➤"My family enjoys this type of boating better than tubing or water skiing because it is a slower way to boat and have fun "surfing" the wake. It is way better than water-skiing and tubing because it's not as loud and the boats are going slower so they are much safer for the person behind the boat." — Laurie Siebert, Downers Grove, Illinois
➤"I live on the largest lake in Marinette County. Many of our residents have had to place large rocks on their shoreline, and the lake clarity declines much more quickly when the wake boats take to the water. Our lake is widely used by people who don't live on the lake, so also we are highly susceptible to invasive species. The water ballast needed to use these boats also creates a risk to the health of the native fish and plants." — Sue Morrison, Crivitz
➤"I have lost 3 feet of shoreline due to wake boats, our lake is around 400 acres and is just too small and not deep enough for them." — Bruce Johnson, Turtle Lake
➤"Wake-enhanced boating has provided hours of enjoyment and entertainment for me and my family." — Lawrence Schmit, Lake Beulah
➤"We've had to spend thousands of dollars putting rip rap along our shoreline to stop the erosion from the huge waves they create. When the wake boats are out, most other activity on the lake has to stop. I also have concern about water contamination from uncleaned or on drained ballast tanks." — Steve McCarthy, Mineral Point
➤"I cannot enjoy a pontoon cruise, canoe, kayak or SUP fun if the wake boats are on the lake. Swimming is risky and everyone has to stop the fun for those very few boats that take over the lake the heir huge waves. This is a selfish behavior." — Chris Dierbeck, Oconomowoc
➤"We have a lake home in Rusk County. Every summer there are more wake boats on our little lake which is a little over 200 acres. I am afraid to go out in a kayak anymore (formerly one of my favorite lake activities) and even an evening pontoon ride can be a scary experience if there is even one wake boat on the lake. In addition the wake produced by these boats pounds our shoreline, sending boats that aren't on a lift crashing into docks. I used to like to sit on the docked boat to read but that is often impossible now." — Katherine McCarthy, Port Edwards
➤"Wake boats with artificially enhanced wakes need to be regulated differently than other boats because they are not designed to be compatible on the lakes with other boats. Their wakes cause deep, erratic swells that are dangerous to other boaters, and cause lakebeds and shoreline damage. These boats were not designed to be used on our small shallow inland lakes." — Eileen Burke, Whitewater
➤"The development of 23 and 25 foot wake boats has brought a new challenge to many Wisconsin lakes. Most lakes are too small and too shallow for these boats to operate without disruption of the lake ecosystem." — Tim Kilgore, Rhinelander
Thanks to everyone who voted in our poll and left comments. Didn't have a chance to vote? Here's how you can get your voice heard in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
➤"Ideally it would be state, but the representatives and senators in the Northwoods don't seem to care about protecting the lakes. Locals do care as you can see by the number of ordinances that have been adopted by towns. " — Kippy Meessmann, Presque Isle
➤"I enjoy it and see no problem with it as it causes the same waves as all other activities. No change and keep everything the same. " — Kristin Capper, Saint Charles, Illinois
➤"Wake enhanced sports began in the ocean with natural waves. Small lakes cannot support this huge energy without residual damage to the environment as well as disrupting personal recreation by other non-wake enhanced activities." — Chris Dierbeck, Oconomowoc
➤"This is a statewide issue, which would hopefully be more resistant to industry lobbying than many local government bodies. The lake/water resources are used by people from across the state, not just local citizens. The fact that the water is owned/controlled by the national/state governments, not local jurisdictions, is proof positive that local government bodies don't have the expertise to write their own local ordinances." — Jeff Jacobs, Star Lake
➤"Local. The state has been bought and paid for by the boating industry." — Don Franzene, East Troy
➤"Let local government determine if they have lakes big enough and deep enough to accommodate this sport. Most Wisconsin lakes in the north are too small and shallow to accommodate. This is something for Lake Michigan. The state should not pass a law that prevents local communities from implementing stricter controls/regulation. They did that with lake lot size imposing a 100 foot minimum which allowed high density building on lakes that previously had 200 or better limits. The loadings to lakes have increased." — Gary Engstrom, Winchester
➤"Ideally it would be statewide but that will likely be difficult because finding a one-size-fits-all regulation that legislators can agree on will be nearly impossible. Local governments will need to step up." — Jesse Nechodom, Wauwatosa
➤"Each body of water is unique and requires different regulations." — Jeff Strong, Fond du Lac
➤"Really feel they should be restricted to very large lakes that would allow their wakes to dissipate. The state also should require manufacturers to have fully draining ballast tanks to minimize contamination lake to lake." — Steve McCarthy, Mineral Point
➤"Lakes smaller than 1,500 acres with a minimum of 30 foot depth should be the minimum. Larger lakes with shallow depths or odd shapes should be reviewed independently" — Chris Dierbeck, Oconomowoc
➤"Stop these boats from ruining small lakes. OK to use them on larger, deeper lakes where the waves can dissipate and stay away from shore and other boats, kayakers etc. Would suggest lakes smaller than 1,000 acers not permit this activity." — Lawrence Kancius, Hartland
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➤"The state has always protected and controlled the ultimate water rights. They should be the ones to govern wake-enhanced boating. The best resolution would be to form a truly independent group to study this subject." — Lawrence Schmit, Lake Beulah
➤"I don't think they belong on the lakes in the Northwoods. We depend on tourism and if our lakes are trashed, we are in trouble. When a wake boat is making wakes, it makes it dangerous for kayakers, fishing boats, swimmers, paddleboarders, nesting loons and shorelines. They tear up the bottom of the lakes, threaten breeding grounds in the littoral zones with their waves and who know what they are doing to the thermocline." — Kippy Meessmann, Presque Isle
➤"I don't see a compromise solution for small shallow lakes. And even if a smaller lake has a couple deep holes, those deep areas are not necessarily 200' from shore. If enhanced wakes are allowed only in those deep areas, the concentration of boat traffic would surely cause accidents, dangerous deep & unnavigable swells and even higher waves crashing into those shorelines. I support an ordinance banning the use of artificially enhanced wakes on our smaller Wisconsin lakes." — Eileen Burke, Whitewater
➤"The best resolution is to let everyone use the lakes. Whether your in a kayak or a big wake setting boat there is a sate respectful way to use that equipment. Don't let peoples hobbies and joy be taken away just because of the people from Illinois that were inconsiderate with their rental wake boat. Don't let the few ruin this truly enjoyable spot for the many." — Gunnar Schiffmann, Saint Germain
Jim Fitzhenry is the Ideas Lab Editor/Director of Community Engagement for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Reach him at [e-mail] or 920-993-7154.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Readers call for regulations on wake-enhanced boating in poll | Opinion