WAke Boating

Information and Discussion regarding Wake Boating on Lake Beulah

 

Wake Boating Terms

  • Wake Boat - A boat that can generate oversized wakes/waves relative to other boats its size. The artificially enhanced waves from wake boats are used to either wake-surf or wake-board. Wake boats can also be operated as ordinary boats without wake enhancement.

  • Wake Enhancement - Any technology that causes a boat to be able to generate oversized waves beyond which the boat would normally be able to create. Most wake boats have separate ballast tanks in the stern that can be filled with lake water, thus causing the boat to displace more water and create a much larger wave/wake. Some boats are fitted with specialized fins which can do the same thing. 

  • Wake Sports - Water sports which make use of artificially enhanced waves to add to the thrill. There are two wake sports, wake surfing and wake boarding.

  • Wake Surfing - The ultimate wake boat experience, where a person can literally surf behind a boat without holding a rope.To get the maximum wake size, the boats operate at a slow speed of just 9-11mph.

  • Wake Boarding - Towed behind a boat, a wake-boarder cuts across an artificially enhanced wake at speeds of 20-23mph so as to do jumps and tricks.

Survey Results

Friends of Lake Beulah,

Please find attached the slide presentation created to capture the results of the survey PLB conducted in the topic of Wakeboats. 

The PLB board reviewed the results and put together a plan to get a finalized Document and recommendation to the town board for their upcoming early January meeting. 

Given the importance of this issue, your PLB board members want to make aboslutely sure that the reccommendation that we send to the Town Board is what is safest for the future health of Lake Beulah and both understandable for lake users and enforceable by the ET marine police.

A group has recently formed to protect the rights of WAKEBOATS on Lake Beulah.  To assure all voices are being heard, we requested this group to give us in writing a proposal to their recommended path girward of rules, restrictions, other ideas and education programs to be presented to our board on December 15.  They have agreed to do so. 

The PLB board will review that proposal with the option to revise/ add to it.

We as a board will then vote on this final restrictions document vs. a ban of wakeboating.  The results will be written up and presented at the January town board meeting. 

This is the plan agreed to by the PLB board. We will publish to the website the document presented to the Town.

I would personally like to thank all of you who have participated in the survey.  Over 500 friends of the lake had their voice herd! That was an amazing response!

Tom VanDenBogart 
PLB President 

Discussion Forum

Welcome to the Wake Boating Discussion Forum for Protect Lake Beulah! This space is dedicated to open, respectful conversations about the impact of wake boating on Lake Beulah. Whether you’re a local resident, a frequent visitor, or someone passionate about preserving the lake's beauty, this forum is here to share perspectives, ideas, and potential solutions. Together, we can find ways to enjoy water sports while ensuring the health and sustainability of our beloved lake. Let’s dive into the discussion and work towards a balanced, eco-friendly approach for everyone!

Additional Resources

Water Chemistry, Watershed, Ambient Profiles: WEx WDNR (shinyapps.io) 

Plant Data: Aquatic Plant Explorer (shinyapps.io)
Note the “Individual Species” map on the right side.  There is a pull down menu that lets you explore the distribution of the various plant species documents.  There is also a pull down menu that allows you to change the date of the plant survey.