The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking powerboaters to watch their wake to make sure they aren’t causing problems for other people on the water.
DNR officials say the mix of speedboats, fishing boats and wake boats has given rise to increasing concerns around large wakes and the problems they can cause. (Wake boats sit low in the water and produce big waves that someone being towed can surf on.)
The big wakes are causing damage to shoreline properties, damaging docked boats and disrupting quieter activities on the water, including sending big waves over the heads of swimmers and causing concern among paddlers.
The DNR is pushing an education effort called “Own Your Wake — for everyone's sake" to spread the word about the importance of minimizing wakes that might pose a nuisance or hazard to others.
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"One person's boating fun should not cause safety concerns and damage for others," said Todd Schaller, chief of Wisconsin DNR conservation wardens. "We hope boaters understand the impacts of boat wakes and voluntarily comply with existing rules and basic principles of on-the-water courtesy.”
Conservation officers say that, in addition to illegally placed docks, big waves and excessive noise from powerboats and personal watercraft are among the most common summer complaints they receive.
