Wake Boats, Safety and the Lake

Here is a list of some reference material the Task Force has reviewed. If you have any questions, please email seanhayden@lakewaramaug.org.

• Wiscoson

  • Terra Vigilis North Lake Management District study: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3bb6845a097e42b8aad5f0fc0537567f

• Summary of Wake Boat Impact Studies, W. Scott Brown

• Chesapeake Bay

  • Defining boat wake impacts on shoreline stability toward management and policy solutions

  • Review of boat wake wave impacts on shoreline erosion and potential solutions for the Chesapeake Bay

• Michigan

  • Department of Natural Resources, Wake Boats: concerns and recommendations related to natural resource management in Michigan Waters, September 2022

• Minnesota

  • Minnesota Study of Wake Boat Waves

  • Own Your Wake: Example of a Public Safety Campaign 

• New Hampshire

  • Final Report of the State Wake Boat Commission to Study Wake Boats

  • The above report has a list of great resources at the end. Here are a few of our favorites:

    • Project Evaluation of the Impact of Waves Created by Wake Boats on the Shores of the Lakes Memphremagog and Lovering

    • Wakeboat: Having Fun while Making the Right Choices

• Other

  • BoatUS Wakeboat Etiquette Article (includes links to additional wake boating articles)

  • Lake Waramaug Blank User Survey (From Warren, Washington and Kent)

As you may have heard, there is an initiative to regulate large wave style recreational boating on Lake Waramaug. We are concerned about the possible negative impacts to the lake's water quality, shoreline and shallow water habitats. At a minimum, the Task Force believes it is advisable to encourage boats creating large wakes to stay as far from shore and in as deep water as possible. See map with suggested zone above.

Over the past several years, we have seen a marked increase in overall boating traffic, as well as an increase in the strength and size of waves produced by wakeboard boats, large boats, and recreational motor boating activities, all of which have created new safety and environmental concerns.

Lake Waramaug is not only unique in its beauty, but also its shape, which includes a number of narrow and shallow areas where the impact of large waves is greatest. The Lake Waramaug Authority and Lake Waramaug Association have received numerous reports regarding hazardous conditions caused by large waves posed to swimmers, smaller self-propelled vessels such as canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, rowing shells, sailboats, etc. as well as damage to residents' docks, floats, and shorelines. The Lake Waramaug Authority asks those who may be considering a purchase of a wakeboard boat to please consider this safety information as well as the environmental information below.

Wakeboard Boats with full ballast tanks create unnaturally large waves and a deeper prop wash than other types of boating activities. These large waves crash into the shoreline, battering habitats in the shallow areas of the lake where 90% of plants and aquatic organisms live. The resulting erosion releases nutrients into the water column, threatening water quality and increasing potential for cyanobacteria. Clearly, operating these boats in the shallower areas of the lake will impact the quality of the water we have fought hard to achieve and currently enjoy. The clarity of the lake today is the result of over 40 years of research, hard work and cutting-edge innovation on the part of the Lake Waramaug Task Force and it would be a shame to see that effort undercut. A voluntary wakeboard boat zone (defined by 300 feet from the shoreline and 20 feet of depth) is a starting point. Careful observation of the effects of a voluntary zone will determine Task Force recommendations in the future.

Let’s work together to keep Lake Waramaug safe, clean, and beautiful for generations to come!