Wisconsin Watersports Coalition

Is Their Story Accurate?

We cannot make Wisconsin the most RESTRICTIVE state in the nation.

A comprehensive review of studies leads to enacting a 200' from shore rule.

How Can You Help?

DONATE NOW

The Answer is NO.

They are on your lake! THAT BOAT - you know the ones that produce a "MONSTER WAVE" . You have all heard the comment "if you see it, believe it" or the attacks on wake surfing boats, blaming them for shoreline erosion, bottom disturbance, safety, AIS issues and more despite the fact scientific evidence contradicts all those claims.

You have all heard A Story full of exaggerations, inflammatory words and fear to describe wake surfing bolstered by a failure to accept 40 years of science. Why?

What is the height of the wake at shore when a wake boat is 200' from shore? At 200' from shore the wave height is on average of 10 " which is less than the height of a sheet of 8-11 1/2" paper.
Is AIS a Problem? the answer is yes - for all boats. whether there is 1 cup or 1 tsp of water left on a boat that is hopping from lake to lake they can carry AIS. If you do not wipe your boat and trailer completely dry - you can transfer the spiny water flea invasive. This is an ALL BOAT issue - not specifically a Wake boat issue. The expectations and requirements for any boats traversing the lakes are the same regardless of equipment. Wisconsin currently has a law (NR 40) that specifically addresses these requirements for AIS.
Is the wave created by wake surfing boats a Problem? At 200' from the boat the answer is NO. If skiing, tubing, pontooning or any other activity where a boat travels 100' from shore is OK the answer is NO. Multiple studies show the wake surfing boat at 200' have the same wave height and energy as other boating activities at 100', protecting habitats, shorelines, thereby posing no greater threat than current boating activities. The St Anthony Falls study actually shows that a non-ballasted boat going 20mph had a comparable wave height to that of a wake boat surfing even from 100' from the boat's path.
Is the position of the prop in wake mode a problem for lake bottoms? Again- the answer is NO. Wave boats are designed to be in deep water and cannot create the wave for surfing in 10' or less water- the wave will not reach the proper height. Wisconsin historical data collection on lakes (The Wisconsin Water Explorer(WEx)), regardless of lake size and depth, have shown no change in data collected over the past 20+ years wake boats have been active on Wisconsin lakes. Furthermore, all studies that have been done obtaining real data- not theoretical - show no impact from at 10-15'. Even when Raymond and Galvez's study supposedly measured a water velocity capable of suspending silt at 15 feet (Day 1 of the study measured this velocity at a depth of approximately 10'), a diver at that depth did not see any resuspension. In addition, the two studies that actually tested for suspended solids among other tests found no variation beyond 10' of depth.
Does DNR "approval" mean the ordinance is good? The Wis DNR does not approval the legality, the validity of a local ordinance or weigh in on the ability of a local unit of governments ability to enforce a local ordinance. Their role is to review the ordinance to make sure it complies with Wisconsin State Laws. As with any local ordinance, it can be challenged in a court of law.

EXAMPLE: EMOTIONAL STATEMENTS LACKING SCIENTIFIC RIGOR AND CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS.

Anti-wake groups often rely on speculative findings from weak data or studies, building anecdotal evidence based on these assumptions. A common example is their use of lakebed photos from 2014 to 2023 on Big Cedar Lake, which show a lack of plant life at approximately 15 feet of depth. While they acknowledge this change may not be due to wake surfing, they continue to imply a causal link, suggesting that correlation equals causation. A scientifically rigorous approach requires a controlled study comparing areas with and without wake boat activity, but no such study exists. While it is clear that the lakebed has changed, the cause remains uncertain, and attributing it to wake boats without evidence is purely speculative. Many factors influence changes in a lake bed, including:

Depth
Water Clarity
Lakebed Substrate Type
Changes in Nutrient Levels
Light Penetration
Water Fluctuation Levels
Natural Wave Action
Shoreline Development
Water Temperature
Invasive Species
Boat Traffic

The majority of plant growth in a lake occurs in what's called the littoral zone, which is considered most times to be a between 2 and 15 feet The Minnesota DNR defines littoral zone as less than 15 feet in depth. Aquatic plant surveys on lakes indicate that approximately 90-95% of the plant community were observed in depths less than or equal to 10 feet.

Terra Vigilas in the Phase 2 of their study observed similar results with identifying a basin with minimal plant growth at a depth of 13.5 feet. The study then goes on to say, "given that almost no plants are found in either basin in depths greater than 10-15 feet since at least the year 2012, inhibition of plant growth due to sedimentation redistribution has not been verified."

This means that plant growth at these depths has always been challenging and it doesn't take much to affect this growth, even prior to the popularity of wake boats. However, it hasn't stopped these groups from insinuating wake boats are the cause.