Emily Lakes and Rivers Association
Questions about Wake Boats have been brought up at past Annual meetings. ELRA's board researched this topic and here is our conclusion. Many lake associations across the country are hearing concerns about wakes created by wake boats causing environmental and physical damage to shorelines, lake bottoms, property, and safety risks for people on the water and on shore.
Large, statewide organizations such as MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLR, mnlakesandrivers.org) and MN Coalition of Lake Associations (MNCOLA, mncola.org) have been actively supporting independent peer-reviewed research conducted by the University of MN to better understand the complex dynamics of wake boat waves and propeller wash on lake ecology. We encourage you to visit these websites for further information. It is anticipated that these studies will guide development of statewide policies to regulate future wake boat use.
In the meantime, best available research suggests that surf-generating wake boats be operated at a distance of at least 500 ft from shorelines and other boaters and in a minimum of 20 ft of water. We, like many other lake associations, are adopting these recommendations to mitigate potential disruptions to our lakes while the details of this matter are being researched and statewide policies put in place. To aid boaters on where to operate in wake surf-generating mode under these distance/depth conditions, “wake safe maps” have been designed using a lake’s GPS coordinates and depth contours. We have obtained such maps for Emily and Mary. Areas that meet these distance/depth criteria appear in dark purple. Only Mary has a wake safe area. Because Emily Lake is shallow (less than 15 ft), there are no safe areas for wake boats.Since these criteria are still “fluid” pending their codification into law, there can be no enforcement of these recommendations. It is hoped, however, that such maps bring awareness to this issue and promote responsible boating practices that will increase public safety, protect our waterways, and minimize economic impacts. Our challenge has been, and will continue to be, how to be good stewards of our water resources while balancing the desires of all lake enthusiasts to enjoy our waterways.