Barron County board urges WCA to back Assembly Bill 1033 on wake surfing; measure passes 26'—1

The Barron County Board of Supervisors voted 26 to 1 on May 18 to ask the Wisconsin Counties Association to support Assembly Bill 1033, a state-level measure intended to regulate wake-surfing and reduce shoreline damage on county lakes.

Linda Zilmer, a fourth-generation property owner who lives on Big Birch Lake, urged supervisors during public comment to press for stronger rules. She cited studies from the University of Minnesota recommending buffers "anywhere from 500 to 700 feet from shore" for wake-surfing activity and a minimum depth of 20 to 30 feet, and said, "state statutes do not allow counties to do boating ordinances on lakes," which is why she recommended supporting state legislation that enables enforcement.

Board members discussed enforcement limits and local control. Supporters framed the resolution as a practical, incremental step: it directs the WCA to lobby for the bill so counties can press the Legislature for a workable statewide approach. "If we can get most of the majority of the counties to do it," a supervisor said during debate, "then [WCA] will pressure our legislature to make some kind of ordinance to try to control the way wake boats" operate.

Opponents raised concerns about the bill's enforceability and timing. Supervisor Vaughn, who cast the lone no vote, said the bill "is already dead" this session and questioned why the county should endorse a measure that cannot move forward now.

Several board members described shoreline erosion and wildlife harm as reasons to act. Supervisor Bob Anderson, speaking from his experience with the Rice Lake Lake District, said the larger wakes created by wakeboats are "eating away at their lakeshore" and moving sediment downstream, and that local districts have sometimes relied on education and targeted ordinances to reduce abuses.

The board's resolution asks the WCA to include Assembly Bill 1033 on its platform so the association can advocate for legislative action. The measure passed with 26 yes, 1 no (Supervisor Vaughn) and 2 absent. The county administrator said the adopted resolution and two others will be forwarded to the WCA for consideration at the organization's annual meeting.

What happens next: the resolution is advisory to the WCA; if the WCA adopts the matter into its lobbying platform, the association can press the Legislature for a new bill or amendments in a future session. The board emphasized that state enforcement (DNR and wreck officers) and the question of local control remain practical constraints on any new law.