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Delafield Lake Welfare committee raises safety concerns about winter aerators, recommends rule review
Summary
Delafield Lake Welfare committee reported on impervious-surface planning and raised safety concerns about winter use of lake aerators after a regional drowning was attributed to thin ice near aerator openings; the committee plans to research and present possible winter restrictions to council.
The City of Delafield’s Lake Welfare committee reported to the council March 17 on two lake-related topics: a recommendation to revisit the city’s impervious-surface standards for shoreline lots and a safety review of winter use of lake aerators.
A committee member said the group had proposed increasing the allowable impervious coverage from a draft 30% up to 60% for some lot types after staff and the committee considered local lot sizes and workability. “We moved that up to 60% which we didn’t think to be any issue whatsoever,” the committee report said, noting the objective is to prevent large lots from being covered entirely with hard surfaces and to preserve green space.
The committee also raised safety concerns about motorized aerators and circulators used in winter to keep water moving near piers. The committee member reported a recent drowning on nearby Pewaukee Lake in which a vehicle broke through ice near an aerator opening, saying the aerator-created thin ice could extend far from shore and present a hazard even where pier signage exists.
The committee recommended researching whether winter aerator use can or should be restricted and coordinating with police, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other area lake boards to align rules and enforcement. “We plan on… coming back to the council with an issue that we would stop the use of aerators in the wintertime,” the committee report said.
Council members asked for clarification on the distinction between bubble-style aerators and prop-driven circulators; committee members said prop-driven units with large props were of greatest concern because they push open water farther out from shore and create narrow, weak ice strips that are dangerous when covered by snow.
No ordinance or formal regulation was adopted at the March 17 meeting; the committee will continue research and consult with city staff, the police chief and potentially the DNR before returning to council with recommended actions.
