Wake Safe and Research into Impact of Powerboats

We have previously shared the results of a study by the St. Anthony Falls Lab at the U of M that documented the damage rapid acceleration and large wakes cause to shorelines and lake beds. One outcome of this research is a recommendation that wake boats limit their operation to depths greater than 20 feet and at least 500 feet from shore (nearly two football fields in length, if that's easier to visualize).

Our partners at Minnesota Lakes and Rivers (MLR) are offering to make maps for lake associations that depict the areas of a given lake that meet those two criteria. In the hopes of creating a map for the Chain lakes, we analyzed lake depths and concluded that there are effectively no areas on the Chain that meet the criteria.

While we support all on-the-water activities that the Chain enables, if you choose to create big wakes for surfing or skiing, please bear in mind the recommended minimum depths and distances to minimize the disruption of settled nutrients on the lake beds and damage to our shorelines.

* Wake surfing at least 500 feet from shore to reduce the wave energy impact on shorelines to the same level as a non-wake surf watercraft. Phase I Research: https://cse.umn.edu/safl/news/umn-researchers-study-waves-created-recreational-boats

* Operating in water depths of at least 20 feet to minimize subsurface ecological impact. Phase II Research: https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/healthywatersinitiative/phase-ii-research)