MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Cedar Lake residents are calling for action against wake boats they say are damaging shorelines and disrupting recreational activities on Manitowoc County's largest lake.
The specialized boats, which take on water to weigh themselves down and create large waves for surfers, are causing concern among homeowners who have witnessed erosion and property damage.
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"Just not the right place for it. I mean there are places for it where it's deep enough and big enough but lakes of this size and situation are not," Mike Strebe, Town of Schleswig sanitary district 1 chairman, said.
Cedar Lake spans 136 acres in Manitowoc County with an average depth of just 9 feet, making it particularly vulnerable to the effects of large, artificial waves.
"We had a concrete wall and had to have it held up by some chains after a few years and now it is starting to fall again and it is from the wave action of boats, especially the boats that have ballasts," Bonnie Grossenbach, Cedar Lake resident, said.
The town board has drafted an ordinance to ban ballasts on wake boats but must wait for a response from the DNR, which is reviewing concerns about possible violations and ecosystem damage.
Some residents argue the wake boats effectively take over the lake when in use. "They virtually command the lake when they're out because the wave action won't allow anybody else to kayak or fish or waterski," Strebe said.
Not all homeowners support restrictions. Cedar Lake resident Cindy Leitner hopes for a compromise, stating, "Taking away the ability to surf is like purchasing a fancy fishing boat but not allowing the owner to drop a line in the water to fish."
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