AERIAL-DRONE - STOCK.ADOBE.COM PHOTOWisconsin residents in Manitowish Waters are asking the state’s Natural Resources Board to restrict the use of wakesurfing boats on lakes and rivers.
According to a report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Darren Kuhn, the state’s boating law administrator, said wakesurfing has created conflicts with other boaters and concerns about the ecological damage caused by the boats.
“The problem is the wakes create a safety hazard to everyone else using the lake, damage the environment, destroy personal property and erode the shoreline,” said Presque Isle resident Jeff Meessmann.
Another concern is that the ballast tanks can’t be fully emptied or inspected, which reportedly violates state rules intended to prevent the transfer of invasive species between lakes.
The residents asked the NRB and Department of Natural Resources to take action similar to a 2007 rule that was enacted to prevent the spread of hemorrhagic septicemia among fish. The rule makes it a violation to transfer water from one lake to another.
They went on to ask the NRB and DNR to modify administrative rule NR19.055 to clarify that if a boat has a ballast system and there is no means for inspecting the system, it would be presumed to contain residual lake water and cannot be emptied or filled in Wisconsin lakes and rivers.
According to the Journal Sentinel, about a dozen municipalities have enacted local ordinances that prohibit wakesurfing.
