Suggested Enhanced Wake Area Adopted
Board Adopts a Suggested Enhanced Wake Area
At its board meeting in early August, the Board adopted a Suggested Enhanced Wake Area for our lakes.
Click the map to enlarge
It asks that boats operating in wake-enhanced mode — using ballast, hull design, or wake-shaping devices to make a larger wave for surfing or wakeboarding — do so at least 500 feet from shore and in water at least 20 feet deep. That Leaves the area of operation to Big Lake Only (click map to enlarge).
This is a suggestion, not a rule. It isn't enforceable, and no one will be ticketed for operating outside it. It's a courtesy we're asking of everyone on the water.
Where the numbers come from
The distance and depth are based on research from the University of Minnesota's St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. Its first study found that a wake-surf wave needs to travel roughly 425 to 500 feet or more to shrink to the size a typical recreational boat's wave reaches at 200 feet. A later phase looked below the surface and recommended that wake boats surf in 20 feet of water or deeper to limit impacts on the lake environment, since their stronger turbulence can stir up bottom sediment. Boating industry representatives have disputed some of these findings, and we've posted material from both perspectives at bigroundpine.org/wake-boats.
Many of our own members asked for guidance like this, and nearby lake groups including Balsam Lake, Cedar Lake, Bone Lake, Deer Lake, and Wapogasset have adopted similar standards.
What it means on our lakes
The standard applies to all three lakes. Because of their size and depth, only part of Big Lake is deep and wide enough to meet it, so that's where the suggested area currently has any effect. You can see it on Polk County's online map viewer here:
Printed maps are coming
We've printed maps of the area, and Clean Boats, Clean Waters inspectors will hand them out at the landings starting next spring. See the link above for high resolution PDF download.
What's next
Nothing beyond the suggested area has been decided. This fall the District is sending a survey to every household to hear what members think — including whether you'd like us to do more, less, or leave things as they are. Watch your mailbox.