Wisconsin Lakes Coalition – Policy Positions on Wake Boats

Wisconsin Lakes Coalition – September 16, 2024 Update

Sep. 16, 2024 News Release: Wisconsin Lakes Coalition Shares Policy Positions to Protect Wisconsin’s Lakes

Wisconsin’s Green Fire is one of the leading organizations within a new coalition of groups protecting Wisconsin’s lakes from the effects of wake boats. On September 16, 2024, the coalition shared a news release outlining our policy positions. This news release is part of a series preparing for a statewide educational campaign about preserving Wisconsin’s lakes.

Read the full text of the news release here.

Our role in this coalition is to help bring the groups together in a science-based, knowledge driven approach to minimize negative effects that enhanced wakes from activities like wake boating (i.e. wake surfing) cause on lakes. As outlined in our May 2024 literature review on the Effects of Wake Boats on Lake Ecosystem Health, these effects can pose problems like shoreline erosion, spreading aquatic invasive species, re-suspending lake sediments, damaging aquatic plants, and negatively impacting birds and fish.

Coalition’s Principles

The coalition believes the following principles are essential to enacting statewide minimums to protect our lakes and rivers.

• 700 Feet From Shore – Wake-enhanced boating activities should occur at least 700’ from any shoreline.
• 30-Foot Depth – Wake-enhanced boating activities should occur in water depths of no less than 30 feet.
• Prevent Invasive Species in Ballast Tanks – Boats moving from lake to lake must have proof of decontaminated ballast tanks before entering lakes
• Local Control – Local municipalities’ existing right to enact and maintain local ordinances that are more restrictive than these state minimums shall be preserved

Members of the Coalition

To date, the members of the coalition include:

• Wisconsin’s Green Fire
• Wisconsin Wildlife Federation
• Lakes at Stake Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Lakes Association
• Last Wilderness Alliance
• Walleyes for Tomorrow
• Trout Unlimited Wisconsin
• Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association
• Sawyer County Lakes Forum
• First Chapter Muskies, Inc.
• Headwater Chapter Muskies, Inc.
• Diamond Lakers, Inc.
• Yahara Fishing Club
• Buffalo County Conservation Alliance
• Mondovi Conservation Club

Contact us with your questions or thoughts about our work on wake boats and protecting Wisconsin’s lakes and other waterways!

If our work on lakes, wake boats, invasive species, or other topics mentioned here inspired or informed you, please consider supporting our work with a donation to Wisconsin’s Green Fire. An annual gift of any amount makes you a member. Thank you!

October Morning, Big Falls County Park, Eau Claire County, photo by Jeff Henry