Buoy Partners Follow Up

Our recent post highlighting the bi-annual process of installing and removing Rock buoys prompted a great question that boils down to "Are No Wake restrictions still in effect before and after the marker buoys are in place?"  We checked in with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office and learned a lot.  

Three separate ordinances cover the No Wake zones on the Chain (see the full list here).  The short story is that of the seven No Wake zones, two are in effect all year, whether buoys are in place or not.  Those two zones are the channel between Little Cedar and Cedar Island Lake, as well as the section of the Sauk River between the Hwy 23 bridge in Cold Spring and the Co. Rd. 2  bridge.

For the five other No Wake zones, restrictions are only in effect between Memorial Day and Labor Day. However, in the interests of maintaining a healthy Chain, let's all slow down in those areas all year long, as wake-induced erosion doesn't stop when the buoys are absent.

Thanks to Ken K for asking about something that many of us have wondered about. Keep those questions coming!