Wake Boat Hearing Scheduled for Wednesday

NEWPORT CITY - A hearing scheduled for Wednesday is the public’s last chance to weigh in on a proposed rule under consideration by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), restricting the use of wake boats.

A wake boat is designed to create a special wave for wakeboarders to jump and perform aerial tricks. A wake boat has several features including a special hull, hydrofoil, and a ballast. The ballast can hold between one and three thousand gallons of water which is used to lower the boat’s stern, creating a bigger wake.

Last year the legislature took testimony on no wake regulations. The goal was to limit wake boats from traveling within 500 feet of the shoreline. The petition as filed expands the current 200 foot shoreline buffer to 1000 feet. The area has to be at least 20 feet deep. The proposed rule limits the use of wake boats based on the surface size of the body of water.

The Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds (FOVLAP) voted in favor of no wake rules on January 23. DEC has received a petition to adopt a “Use of Public Waters Rules.”

Through the rulemaking process, DEC has hosted several public hearings, with one remaining. DEC will then finalize and enact the rule.

Morgan resident and state legislator Representative Larry Labor said there are four wake boats that use Lake Seymour. At almost 1,800 acres in size, Seymour Lake would be impacted by the rule due to the distance a wake boat would need to be from shore. The rule would also ban wake boats on bodies of water less than 60 acres in size. The rule would effectively ban wake boats on bodies of water such as Clyde Pond in Derby and Shadow Lake in Glover.

“This will get some traction,” Labor predicts. He favors expanding the ban on bodies of water under 75 acres.

The Lake Seymour Association board of directors supports the no wake legislation. The sport of wakeboarding is becoming increasingly popular but there are environmental consequences that will be addressed by the proposed legislation.

Large waves can lead to injuries, especially among the vulnerable population of children, disabled and the elderly. Small water craft such as kayaks or canoes can be easily upended by a large wake. Damage to moored boats and docks can occur.

In shallow water a wake boat can stir up the sediment releasing phosphorus leading to dirty water and increased algae growth.

The shore line can be eroded, imperiling nesting birds and other species. Ballast water released into the lake can have invasive plant and animal species in the ballast.

Last year the lake association's President Rhonda Shippee outlined these concerns to the association's members.

“Other than the problem of adequately cleaning the wake boats to prevent the spread of invasive species, most of the other concerns can be eliminated if the boats are operated at an appropriate distance from shore and in deeper water,” Shippee stated.

The FOVLAP website has meeting information including login information to attend the event via Zoom. The hearing on February 15th starts at 5:30 and is scheduled for two hours.