Supporters of stricter regulations governing the use of wake boats in Vermont came out in droves Wednesday night as the state Department of Environmental Conservation sought input on a proposed rule in a public meeting in Greensboro and online.
They argued that the boats — used for wakeboarding, surfing and waterskiing — contribute to shoreline erosion, spread invasive species and make waterways less safe.
The department’s draft rule would require that wake sports take place at least 500 feet from shore and on bodies of water that have an area of at least 50 acres and are 20 feet deep. That would limit wake boat use to 31 inland lakes in Vermont.
Many of those who spoke Wednesday night said that the proposed rule should go further.
“I have been on Lake Groton for 58 years. I currently live on the lake, and I have never seen erosion the way I have since these boats have been around,” said one participant, Tom Page. “From my experience, 500 feet does not protect our shorelines.”
Over 160 people joined the meeting online, along with those who attended in person at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. That venue sits a mile from Lake Caspian, one of the lakes that would be affected by the draft rule.
Of those who attended and sought to speak Wednesday night, 60 were chosen at random and given two minutes to make their case.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has been developing the draft rule, holding public meetings and soliciting comments since March 2022, when a citizen group, Responsible Wakes for Vermont Lakes, petitioned for new regulations. That group initially sought to limit the boats’ use to 1,000 feet from shore — a distance some called for again Wednesday night.
“The 500 feet is insufficient to protect lake shores from erosion and release of sediment and phosphate,” said Li Shen, vice chair of the Thetford Selectboard, arguing that scientific studies had called for a buffer closer to 1,000 feet. “The bottom line is the health of our lakes — not making a compromise with a relatively small group of users.”
Some of those who spoke said they supported the department’s draft language because it balanced competing interests.
“I applaud the ruling that is proposed because it is a compromise and I feel that we try to share the lake with everybody,” said Rodney Putnam, a wake boat owner and surfer on Lake Iroquois in Hinesburg. “If the lake is busy, we don’t go out.”
A few members of the public, including Eric Splatt, called for the state to focus on educating boaters rather than imposing new regulations.
“This proposed petition and rule does not seem like the Vermont I know,” Splatt said. “Why not put educational programs together to help people be aware of best and safe operations?”
Others questioned how effectively the rule would be enforced.
The department plans to consider the feedback offered in Wednesday’s meeting before completing the draft rule and launching the formal rulemaking process, which would include at least one more chance for the public to weigh in.
As Wednesday’s meeting concluded, Oliver Pierson, the department’s lakes and ponds program manager, noted the heightened level of engagement.
“The interest and passion in this issue is really remarkable and noteworthy and commendable,” Pierson said. “You’ve given us a lot to think about tonight.”