Rule would calm water, not skiers
Ben Steverman, Star<=
/span> Tribune
February 23, 2005 WL=
AKE0223
A proposal to regulate
boating on
Water
skiers view the proposed ordinance as an unnecessary annoyance, but propone=
nts
say the no-wake areas would protect plants -- such as bulrush and lily pads=
--
that live near the surface of the water.
Those
plants provide habitat for wildlife and help improve the lake's water quali=
ty,
said John Barten, the Three Rivers Park District
water resources manager, who has studied Medicine Lake for 15 years.
Research
on other lakes has shown that fast boat traffic over or near plant beds can
stir up sediment and prevent germination of new plants, he said. "It's=
a
better lake with these plants," said Plymouth City Engineer Ron Quanbeck. Plus, Quanbeck =
added,
"They're very hard to reestablish once they're gone." He said the no-wake zones are based=
on
extensive research that has been done on
The
lake is classified by the state as an "impaired resource," suffer=
ing
from poor water quality and algae blooms. The city has funded efforts to
prevent erosion and reduce the amount of water runoff into the lake, and it=
has
used chemicals to fight invasive species of plants.
Would they help?
Bruce
Larson, who lives on the lake and often waterskis,
supports other efforts to improve water quality but says the no-wake zones
don't make sense. First, Larson says, boats already avoid weedy areas.
"The last thing you want to do is drive your boat into the weeds,"=
; he
said. Under the ordinance, buoys would mark the edge of the no-wake zones.
Boaters would be permitted to create as much of a wave as they want as long=
as
they are outside the zone.
Larson
says that's silly, since it does little to protect the weeds from waves cre=
ated
just outside the zone. It also doesn't protect the weeds from boat propelle=
rs,
because boats would still be allowed to enter the zones if they go slow eno=
ugh.
He
said the buoys also would create a "confusing situation" on the n=
orth
arm of the lake, a narrow stretch of water that
boaters say is great for water skiing because it has fewer waves and is
protected from wind. Two no-wake zones are proposed on either side of the n=
orth
arm.
Even
with the no-wake zones, there would be enough room for boaters to operate up
the north arm -- about 520 feet between the two zones. But Larson said he's
worried that the buoys, marked "no wake zones," would be confusin=
g,
either to the Hennepin County Sheriff's water patrol and boaters or to
onlookers who may think that the entire passage into the north arm is a no w=
ake
zone. A few buoys asking boaters to keep away from bulrush and lily pad are=
as
would be all right, but it doesn't make sense as a rule for police to enfor=
ce,
he said.
Cities must decide
The
ordinance would need approval from both the city of
Medicine
Lake Mayor Mary Anne Young said the proposal is likely to come up at her ci=
ty's
next council meeting, at 7 p.m. on March 7 at City Hall, 10609 South Shore =
Dr.
Young said she would wait until the meeting to make up her mind on the
ordinance.
The
Plymouth City Council is unlikely to consider the proposal until late March=
, Quanbeck said.
The
Association of Medicine Lake Area Citizens, a group of residents who live on
the lake, met last week and seem divided on the proposal, according to Jona=
than
Eklin, president of the group.
"I
would like to see it studied some more," Eklin
said. He said he hasn't seen enough scientific data to back up proponents' =
case
for the no-wake zones. Starting to regulate boat traffic on the lake is a b=
ig
step and should only be taken as a last resort, he said. Contact the writer at 612-673-7168 or bsteverman@startribune.com.<=
/span>