Sen. Anne Watson seeks "home lake" designation for wake boats to limit invasive species spread
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Summary
Sen. Anne Watson presented S.224 (draft 4.2) proposing a "home lake" checkbox on boat registration for wake boats and an annual DMV report to ANR to better track wake-boat prevalence; committee members asked for DMV testimony and noted the bill will need finance committee review.
Sen. Anne Watson, chair of Natural Resources, told the Senate Transportation committee she is proposing language in S.224 (draft 4.2) to add a statutory "home lake" designation for wake boats on boat registration forms and require the Department of Motor Vehicles to compile and annually report counts of registered wake boats and home-lake designations to the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR).
Watson said the change is intended to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species from wake-boat ballast tanks. "One of the ways to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species... is a home lake rule," she said, explaining that owners who keep a wake boat at a single lake would not need decontamination when staying on that lake; decontamination would be required if the boat moves between lakes.
Watson said DMV provided written testimony indicating it could add a checkbox and a line on registrations to designate a home lake and that DMV could compile the registration data for ANR. She noted the state currently lacks reliable data on how many wake boats are registered—"we've heard, it could be as few as 17"—and said the reporting requirement would help the state assess prevalence and risk.
Committee members raised practical concerns including limited boat-wash facilities in many locations, how the rule would treat reservoirs and long river reaches, and a shore‑distance requirement tied to eligibility for wake-boat mode. Watson said rulemaking about which waterbodies are eligible is ongoing and that reservoirs would count as lakes for this bill’s purposes.
There was no formal vote. Watson said she expected a new draft within the week with the goal of a vote by the end of the week or shortly after the legislative break; members noted the bill will have to go to the finance committee and asked for DMV participation beyond written testimony.
Next steps: staff will prepare an updated draft, the committee will seek DMV testimony, and the bill will be scheduled for further consideration and likely referral to finance.
