The Town of Schleswig ha suspended its Cedar Lake wake boating ordinance after receiving a notice of intent to sue.
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Earlier this year, the town passed an ordinance banning wake enhancement activities on Cedar Lake. Wake boats use ballast tanks filled with water to create large waves needed for wake surfing.
Mike Strebe, Town of Schleswig Sanitary District 1 Chairman, said the boats pose safety concerns for other people on the water.
"The boats can make that 3-4 foot wave, disrupt the shoreline, no one else can be on water when one of these boats are out there, it's a dangerous situation," Strebe said.
Sanitary District Commissioner Niel Larsen described a personal experience with wake boat waves on the lake.
"My family and I were sitting on our boat ... then two wake boats came out and as soon as they came out we got hit by substantial waves, enough that it pushed our boat onto the pier and the pier got pushed onto my boat lift," Larsen said.
Not everyone on the lake supports the ordinance. Cindy Leitner, president of the Wisconsin Water Sports Coalition, said the suspension is a step in the right direction.
"It allows them to restrict, which that's a compromise, that allows everyone to use the lake, prohibiting is not something that they're allowed to do," Leitner said.
Cedar Lake resident Randy Leonard, who does not wake boat, believes higher water levels — not wake boating — caused shoreline erosion. He also said the ordinance has divided the lake community.
"The divisiveness on the lake is really, unfortunate, it's sad," Leonard said.
"Everybody wants to pursue life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, lets get back to that," Leonard said.
The Town of Schleswig has a board meeting scheduled for tonight, with the ordinance on the agenda for discussion.
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