TOWN OF WHITEWATER, Wis. — As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, a heated debate is unfolding on Whitewater and Rice Lakes in Walworth County over whether to ban artificially enhanced wakes popular for sports like wake surfing.
"A total ban would be incredibly difficult to enforce and deeply unfair to responsible boaters," said one resident during a Thursday's town board meeting.
Whitewater Lake is 35 ft. deep and 625 acres while Rice Lake is only 10 ft. deep and 144 acres.
"It's not a matter of inconvenience. It's a real threat to the safety of everyone to enjoy the lake," said another community member.
The idea of an ordinance has created a significant divide among neighbors who typically enjoy a close-knit community atmosphere on these popular boating lakes.
It's also become an issue on lakes around Wisconsin. Wake surfing requires specialized boats to create large wakes so people can surf or board without a tether.
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Organizations like Last Wilderness Alliance and the Wisconsin Watersports Coalition have come out with strong stances on the topic.
Around 200 people showed up to Walworth Town Hall on Thursday night to share their feelings during public comment on wake-enhanced boating.
Claudia Bellinger, who opposes a ban on wake-enhanced boating and has lived on the lake for 16 years, reached out to TMJ4 to witness the discussion firsthand.
"We've taught at least 50 people how to wake surf on this lake," Bellinger said.
She believes the ban would unfairly restrict boat owners' rights to use their vessels as intended.
"Putting a ban in place really says that I can't use my boat the way it was intended to be used, and it's really something that our recreation here is important for everyone on the lake," Bellinger said.
She wants the community to have an open dialogue and is not opposed to having conversations about restricted areas.
Watch: Deep split over possible ban on enhanced wake boating on Whitewater, Rice Lakes
On the other side of the debate, safety concerns are paramount for those supporting restrictions.
Don McComb, who favors an ordinance and boats on Whitewater Lake, points to specific hazards created by enhanced wake boats.
"It has caused problems with smaller boats, with kids, with a lot of the boats that are actually on the shoreline," McComb said.
Environmental impact is another significant concern for ordinance supporters like shoreline erosion and disturbing wildlife habitats.
"It has become a big issue, having these enhanced wake boats causing problems, not only to the environment, the lake shore and even to the bottom of the lake," McComb said.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the controversy is the strain it's putting on community relationships.
"The problem is now we've got families neighbors who are threatening each other because of their opinions," McComb said.
"We're a nice community. We do picnics together, we have music activities together. And for us to have to approach this this way, it's just really it's surprising," Bellinger said.
The Whitewater Town Board will consider all public input as they determine next steps regarding the proposed ordinance.
This story was reported by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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