Three-quarters of respondents to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel poll say wake-enhanced boating should be regulated and more than half said it should be a blend of state and local rules.
More than 725 people have responded to the non-scientific poll posted May 24 as Wisconsin lawmakers and local groups 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.
Some lake associations and town boards have enacted local restrictions. A group of lawmakers was scheduled to meet with advocates on both sides of the issue May 28 to see if a compromise agreement could be reached.
There is still time to vote and leave comments: Take the wake-enhanced boating survey
Here is how responses to the poll questions broke down:
Readers left hundreds of comments about their experience with wake-enhanced boating and how they think the issue should be addressed. Here is a quick sampler before we dig into each question in greater detail:
➤”The wake board boats create too large a wake for the other boats on the water in smaller lakes. They also create waves that are eroding the shoreline. I do not think that anyone has the right to interfere with other boaters or the natural beauty of the shoreline. Forcing those shore land owners to put in boulders is way obnoxious.” — Justin Lee
➤”The existing rules are adequate, they are just never enforced. Improved enforcement and education is required.” — Cody Jaworski
➤”A friend of mine had a back injury and their boat’s windshield shattered after their boat landed on a wake-enhanced boat’s wave. There has also been significant erosion of the beach in front of our cottage.” — Linda Peterson
➤”To watch our shorelines and fish habitats destroyed by wake enhancing boats while our state legislature does nothing to protect our resources is incredibly disheartening.” — Robert Prehn
➤”I’ve operated a wake boat for over 15 years on a 700-½acre lake without incident and now that privilege has been taken away by an uneducated town board that is influenced not by its constituents but rather a group of people not from the town. They spew untruths and rhetoric to scare the town board members into making poor decisions.” — Glenn Schiffmann
Should wake-enhanced boating be regulated differently?
➤”I’ve lost 4 ½ feet of shoreline in the last 4 years. That’s 10,000 square feet that I will never get back but continue to pay taxes on. Directly due to wake-enhanced watercraft use.” — Randy Wilkinson
➤”There’s no clear evidence proving a direct cause-and-effect between wake-enhanced boating and lake problems. Much of the opposition comes from fishermen who view it as a nuisance — similar to past pushback against personal watercraft. Erosion and other lake issues are complex and often linked to invasive species and the loss of native vegetation, not just boating activity.” — Matthew Wichman
➤”The Waupaca Chain O’Lakes is only 753 total acres of water. The four ski lakes are approximately 100 acres each. It’s insane to me that anyone thinks it’s okay to operate a wake boat, capable of producing 4′ waves on such a small lake, and yet we’ve had five wake boats operating on our lake (Long Lake) at the same time.” — Joseph Kuhn
➤”These boats are not appropriate for smaller shallow glacial lakes.” — Pete Kraeger
➤”Wake surf boats are a totally different technology than a fishing boat, water skiing boat, pontoon or a jet ski. Regulations should recognize these differences. Regulations should be enacted that protect our waters, wildlife and common use. They prevent other users from enjoying their day because the wake surf boats wake disrupts a large area of the lake.” — Eugene Clark
➤”This does not create damage to the shoreline or lakebed.” — Gordon Bubolz
If you think regulation is needed, where should they come from?
➤”Trust local government’s ordinances. Locals have done their homework and studied the independent research being done on the damage caused by enhanced wakes. The state of Wisconsin legislators and the DNR have proven they are complicit in the protection of watersheds and lakes.” — Tim Meekma
➤”We have a local town ordinance on the Waupaca Chain O’Lakes but the sheriff has stated publicly he will not enforce it.” — Joseph Kuhn
➤”Local townships must be free to regulate the water ways.” — James Dion
➤”It would help with enforcement if there was the heft of state law behind the regulations. But we should not wait for state law; local laws and ordinances can also help.” — Linda Peterson
➤”The state should move on this problem so that the county and DNR can enforce the rules, but the town boards should also enact ordinances so we can get relief sooner.” — Ken Schuler
What is your experience (if any) with wake-enhanced boating?
➤”Wake-enhanced boating has added tremendous value by allowing more people to safely enjoy the lake. Unlike high-speed wakeboarding, wakesurfing behind ballasted boats occurs at low speeds, making it accessible to a wider range of ages and abilities. It offers a way for people to stay active and engaged on the water throughout their lives.” — Matthew Wichman
➤”I have been a boater on Lake Beulah since 2007. There was an increase in amount and size of boats during COVID-19, and it remains to be a busy lake with all kinds of recreation. I’m offended by these fear mongers that claim the lake is deteriorating because of wake boats. Most or all their claims are a false narrative and can easily be fact-checked by anyone who wants to take the time. The fear mongers are relying on people believing the false narrative. They hope if they say it enough people will believe what they are saying. Its time to use scientific data to speak for the healthiness of the lake.” — Mary Quirke
➤”From a distance of at least 500 feet an enhanced wake almost tipped over my canoe with my grandsons in it. So few wake boats are ruining it for so many others. ” — Janica Behnke
➤”Everything that is stated I have witnessed firsthand. Mooring lines and hardware ripped from piers, boats swamped (even sunk), panels on pontoons dented from wakes coming over the deck, kayaks, SUPs and canoes capsized, kids knocked over wading in lake, shore erosion, damage to the lake bottom (from prop wash), loudspeakers thumping at ridiculous levels and inattentive drivers who cannot even see over the bow coming right at you.” — Greg Niemi
➤”I live and ski on a 150-acre lake and it is too small for that large boat action. Fish beds are destroyed, lake vegetation is destroyed, others can’t use their boats because of the extreme wave action, and it is a real safety concern. We are getting a lot of shoreline erosion because of the enhanced wakes!” — Ken Schuler
What would be the best resolution?
➤”Allow local residents to determine the balance between tourist dollars and the need to protect their shorelines.” — Chuck Hayes
➤”Both sides of the surf boat debate should prioritize open communication and rely on unbiased scientific research rather than activist group rhetoric. Organizations like Lakes at Stake often promote fear and misinformation to push their agenda, but they fail to address critical lake issues once their goals are achieved. For example, they overlook problems like PFAS contamination, over-fertilization, and weed choppers that destroy fish spawning beds — issues these groups rarely discuss.” — Joyce Byrne
➤”Improved boater education and perhaps a more strict licensing for those operating boats. Whenever I see someone complaining about a wakesurfer, waterskier, fisherman, or other powerboat user, they are already breaking the law. Wisconsin has extremely weak license requirements for boat operation, and minimal enforcement. I personally would like to see both an improvement in boater education and improved tools for enforcement. A range-finder like device where officers could enforce 200 foot rules easily would be ideal. ” — Cody Jaworski
➤”Everyone has a right to use the lakes. But not everyone has a right to abuse the lakes. And wake surf boats cause the most damage. There is nothing natural about surfing on an inland lake. Our creator did not ever imagine this. And, what we know, the problem is usually not the boat. It is the operator being inconsiderate of others.” — Greg Niemi
➤”Wisconsin waters are a public resource for all. The wake boat industry is for-profit and aimed at a specific section of the public. It’s priorities cannot be allowed to override the broader public interest.” — Mary Brill
Jim Fitzhenry is the Ideas Lab Editor/Director of Community Engagement for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Reach him at jfitzhen@gannett.com or 920-993-7154.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s what readers had to say about wake-enhanced boating on Wisconsin lakes | Opinion
Reporting by James N. Fitzhenry, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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