This story is courtesy of the Tomahawk Leader.
An ordinance regulating artificially enhanced wakes on Lake Mohawksin was approved by the City of Tomahawk Common Council earlier this month.
The council gave the thumbs up to the measure during its meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The ordinance had previously received the green light from the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee in May after months of consideration.
Along with Lake Mohawksin, the ordinance is also applicable to all segments of the Wisconsin and Tomahawk rivers within city limits.
Enhanced wakes are large waves created by wakeboats traveling at slow speeds and are utilized for wakesurfing and other watersports.
Much of the support for regulating enhanced wakes stems from their potential environmental and safety impacts, while opposition to such rules has in part come from wakeboat manufacturing organizations and watersports groups and enthusiasts.
With the ordinance now adopted, the City of Tomahawk joins nearly 100 Wisconsin municipalities with enhanced wake regulations and becomes one of the latest local municipalities to implement such rules.
The Town of King passed an enhanced wake ordinance applicable to Lake Alice earlier this year, and the Town of Wilson has enacted similar regulations affecting Somo Lake and the Somo River.
This summer, the Towns of Bradley and Nokomis adopted enhanced wake ordinances affecting Lake Nokomis, the Rice River Flowage and Bridge Lake. The Nokomis rule also covers Prairie Lake, Swamp Lake and all other lakes and rivers within the township.
The City of Tomahawk and the Town of Bradley share jurisdiction over Lake Mohawksin, meaning collaborative ordinances are required to meet Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) guidelines. With the city’s ordinance now in place, the Town of Bradley is expected to consider a similar ordinance applicable to Lake Mohawksin.
The ordinance
According to the ordinance, enforcement of the rule will fall under the purview of the Tomahawk Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. It was noted during the meeting that although the ordinance may be difficult for the agencies to enforce, signage at boat landings, boaters being aware of the rule and public pressure may help in ensuring rules are followed.
Under the ordinance, the use of ballast tanks, ballast bags or fins to cause a boat to operate in a bow-high manner or to increase or enhance a boat’s wake are prohibited.
The ordinance does not ban activities such as water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding with the use a tow rope, brief transition operation to empty a boat of bilge water or brief transition operation of a boat accelerating into a planning condition, according to the ordinance.
The ordinance also includes a carve-out for the Kwahamot Water Ski Club shows.
Violation of the ordinance carries fines of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for the second and subsequent offenses within one year.
Public comment, vote
Prior to the council’s vote, numerous members of the public – including several Lake Mohawksin property owners – voiced their support for the ordinance, citing environmental and safety concerns. No individuals spoke against implementing an enhanced wake rule.
After discussion, the ordinance was passed with a 6-2 vote, with Patricia E. Haskin, Robert Soward, Jeff Kahle, Donald Nelson, Will Garske and Tadd Wegener voting in favor and Mickey Loka and Mike Loka opposed. Steve “Ding” Bartz was absent.
