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Residents and lake groups urge action on wake-surf boats and ballast systems to prevent invasive mussels
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the board wake-surf boats' ballast systems retain water and pose a high risk for spreading quagga and zebra mussels; speakers asked for decontamination infrastructure, certification and possible legislative action or temporary restrictions.
Three public presenters before the board on Jan. 22 urged the department and board to act on wake-surf boats and ballast systems, which they said retain water that can transport aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as quagga mussels.
Attorney Jim Olson reviewed open-records material and scientific studies that show wake-ballast systems can retain multiple gallons of water even after operators attempt to drain tanks. He noted Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 19.055 requires draining ballast systems and other boat water to avoid spreading aquatic invasive species; his review of DNR citations showed most enforcement actions have targeted non-draining live wells rather than ballast systems.
Carol Phillips, a retired civil engineer and longtime lake resident, described safety and nuisance impacts of very large wakes created by wake-surf boats and called for stronger protection for other lakeshore users and shoreline resources. Jeff Meissman, of the Last Wilderness Alliance and the Coalition to Protect Wisconsin Lakes, summarized technical and policy concerns: manufacturers' guidance that draining ballast tanks may damage equipment; an absence of available decontamination centers, certification processes, or an agency to oversee boat decontamination; and a lack of action on previously proposed pilot programs.
Meissman said his coalition has proposed a pilot decontamination program and offered seed funds for equipment, but the department had not advanced a formal pilot or certification process. He and others told the board quagga mussels were discovered in Lake Geneva in 2024 — the detection was made outside DNR surveillance — and warned that quagga mussels’ shallow-water forms increase the number of Wisconsin lakes at risk.
Speakers urged a precautionary approach: temporary restrictions on ballast-system boats while certification, decontamination facilities and legislative changes are developed; or stronger enforcement of existing law. Board members acknowledged the high public interest and urged staff and stakeholders to continue searching for practicable solutions.
