TOWN OF DAYTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Wake-surfing is an outdoor activity requiring the use of a boat with a special tank that creates wakes big enough to not need a rope. Recently, the use of those boats has been making waves in two Wisconsin communities.
“We’re not opposed to the boats and the technology,” Casey Plunkett said. “It’s just that these lakes are too small to use these technologies on.”
Plunkett gathered hundreds of names for a petition opposing wake surfing on the Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes. He said those in favor of a ban overwhelmingly outnumber those who don’t.
“The safety, skiers drop off, tubers drop off it’s difficult to see people in the water when you’ve got four foot chop out there,” Plunkett said. “So that’s issue number one. Issue number two is shoreline erosion.”
The debate isn’t over yet. Three months after the Farmington board adopted an ordinance restricting certain wake boats on two of its lakes, it was repealed when faced with threats of legal action.
“My clients are looking for are reasonable and safe setbacks and allowances to continue to use their wake boats with their kids and their grandkids,” Attorney Anders Helquist said at a March 18 meeting in Farmington.
On Thursday, supervisors from Farmington and Dayton decided to create a committee to discuss the future of the matter.
“To make this a good, smart airtight situation and then we can finally move on and go on with other town business,” Town of Dayton Supervisor Brett Grams said.
Though not everyone involved in that vote agreed.
“We’ve already had all of that input,” Town of Farmington Supervisor Caroline Murphy said. “I just wonder whether or not a committee would be just rehashing and rehashing and delaying and delaying.”
For those hoping to see some regulations on the lakes soon, they’ll have to wait.
“We are hoping and pleading with Farmington and Dayton, hope they enact an ordinance sooner than later because our children and our lakes will not survive another summer of this nonsense,” Tami Farber of Middleton said.
Who will serve on the committee was not officially decided, however it looks to include various perspectives including town supervisors, law enforcement, the DNR and boat owners.
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