A photo of a wakeboat is held up during a meeting in the Waupaca County town of Farmington March 18, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) – Participants in the annual poll by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress overwhelming endorsed statewide restrictions on wake boating.
Wake boats have special ballast tanks to create large water displacements for surfing and tubing, without use of tow rope. However, their use creates concerns about erosion, impacts on other water users, and invasive species.
Some local governments, particularly along the Chain o’ Lakes in Waupaca County, have discussed creating local ordinances. However, there is a also push for statewide regulation, rather than having a patchwork of rules which could vary by lake or community.
The vote, conducted earlier this month at meetings throughout the state, is only advisory, however.
See results of the vote on this and other issues.
Three votes were related to the issue:
Would you support the WCC and legislature creating a new statute that prohibits the use of wake boat ballast systems on Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers?
- YES – 10,608
- NO – 4,193
- NO OPINION – 1,370
Would you support regulations by DNR to require that all ballast systems used in boats shall have a reasonable practical means of inspecting the system to confirm that no water is retained in the system (tanks, piping, valves, etc.)?
- YES – 10,016
- NO – 4,228
- NO OPINION – 1,771
Would you support the WCC and legislature modifying existing statutes to prohibit generation of intentionally magnified wakes for wake surfing through the use of ballast, design features, operational procedures or any other means on lakes smaller than 1500 acres and less than 20 feet deep and maintain a distance from shore and other lake users of 700 feet?
- YES – 10,895
- NO – 3,804
- NO OPINION – 1,288
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