Mound council hears LMCD rep on wake‑boat impacts; majority favors waiting for more data
Loading...
Summary
LMCD representative Ben Brandt summarized a University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls phase‑2 study and outlined options including bay‑specific quiet‑water designations; council members expressed mixed views and a majority favored staying neutral until more data or a state rule emerges.
MOUND — The city heard a presentation Feb. 10 from Ben Brandt, the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) representative, about wake‑producing boats and their effects on the lake’s shoreline and bottom. Brandt summarized a University of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls phase‑2 study and described LMCD options, from lakewide setbacks to bay‑specific quiet‑water designations.
"Wakes produced by wake sport boats can reach a depth of 20 feet" and may take roughly 500 feet to dissipate, Brandt told the council, citing phase‑2 study results. He said LMCD has not taken a formal position but highlighted steps the district has already taken, including a 300‑foot setback from shore implemented earlier (up from the state baseline of 150 feet) and education campaigns such as "Own Your Wake" and "Watch Your Wake." Brandt said the Hennepin County Water Patrol issued warnings last season but, to his knowledge, no formal citations for operating at wake‑producing speeds inside 300 feet.
Council members said they were split over next steps. Several members said they lack sufficient enforcement data and worried that extending a fixed lakewide setback to 500 feet could push wake boats into busier channels, concentrating activity in major bays. One council member pointed to shallow, environmentally stressed bays — notably Harrison Bay — and asked whether LMCD could pursue bay‑specific protections instead of a single numeric setback. Brandt said LMCD could pursue quiet‑water declarations for particular bays and that he would represent the city at LMCD meetings if the council directed him to do so.
The council did not vote on a formal position. Multiple members said they preferred waiting for more scientific data or for any statewide rule the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources might issue rather than adopting a local lakewide change now. Brandt said he would communicate future public‑hearing notices and continue discussions with the city.
The discussion closed with the council broadly signaling neutrality for the moment and asking staff to coordinate further information gathering and potential bay‑specific options.
