Residents upset by proposed ban on wakesurfing on Waramaug

“We’ve worked so hard to clean up this lake. I don’t want to be permitting a degradation of that,” —Kent Selectwoman Lynn Mellis Worthington

WARREN — The Lake Waramaug Authority met on a stormy Friday evening, June 6, at Warren Town Hall to discuss a proposed ordinance two years in the making concerning the future of wakesurfing on the lake, ultimately voting unanimously to move the bill forward.

This decision has no immediate effect on actual regulations on the lake, but rather will be sent to each town in the Interlocal Commission — Kent, Warren and Washington — whose selectmen will then discuss the ordinance and, if voted through, send it to public hearing and eventually a vote at town meeting.

Authority member Sandy Papsin methodically recited the drafted ordinance to the commission and public audience of approximately 10 individuals. The ordinance would permit the use of wake boats on the lake, but specifically bans the use of any of the special features of these boats that enable them to throw large wakes.

This includes the use of more than one ballast at a time, a type of tank that fills with water to sink the boat lower so it can displace more water as it moves, creating a larger, more powerful wake. The use of other wave-shaping technologies, like surf tabs, which control the height and steepness of the wave, is also prohibited in the draft ordinance. Enforcement is suggested as a $250 fine per infraction.

The ordinance takes a decided stance against the use of wake boats in surf mode. In its introduction, the draft states, “Large wakes are not compatible with other long-established public uses of the lake,” citing safety and environmental concerns.

At the conclusion of Papsin’s presentation, protest erupted from several members of the audience, accusing the Authority of ignoring a secondary ordinance draft that they said had been circulated amongst the group. The Authority claimed it did not have the document and reminded the audience several times that there was to be no public comment at this meeting, which further aggravated the crowd.

“Do we live in a police state?” one attendant asked.

Washington Selectman Dean Sarjeant countered what he said were “distressing comments that this is undemocratic,” explaining that the Lake Waramaug Authority’s role is simply to suggest the draft ordinance to the three towns, who then conduct their own public hearings and town meetings should they decide to move forward with the ordinance. “It now goes to the towns for a completely transparent, public and democratic vote,” he said.

After the draft ordinance passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned, the audience again became agitated, questioning the process and even airing some expletives before the group eventually filtered out of the meeting room.

Similar heated discussions about regulating wakesurfing are taking place across the country. Wisconsin Public Radio reported on a recent lawsuit in a northern Wisconsin town that seeks to overturn an ordinance that bans wakesurfing on four lakes within the town’s borders. Proponents of the lawsuit stated their motivation as to protect the right to recreate, while those in favor of the ban ordinance raised concerns similar to those found at Lake Waramaug, such as the spread of invasive species, water quality impacts and public safety.

The Kent Board of Selectmen was given a tour of the Lake on Tuesday, June 3, by wake boat owner Keith Angell, which the next day members said at a meeting was a helpful way to conceptualize the issue as it relates to the physical dimensions of the lake.

Selectwoman Lynn Mellis Worthington said it augmented her concerns about the Lake’s water quality, as decades of improvement have plateaued in recent years. “We’ve worked so hard to clean up this lake. I don’t want to be permitting a degradation of that” she said.

Washington and Warren’s select boards have already voted to support an ordinance that would ban surfing, but not the boats themselves and were waiting to see the language of the Authority’s proposal.

Kent chose not to make any motion until the BOS had seen the proposal, which was received Monday morning.