Category: Issues

Boating industry position on safe surfing

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image of wake surf boat with surfer behind and people in the boat

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), one of the principle marine industry associations, has released their position on wakesurfing. It should be of no surprise that they are pro-wakesurfing as their members include, among others, the surf boat manufacturers. 

NMMA is pushing this position across the U.S., Minnesota included. On December 26, Outdoor News, a Minnesota-based media outlet published a letter to the editor from NMMA detailing the NMMA wakesurfing position. 

NMMA states they support statewide regulations which are fair for all and science based. Unfortunately, they chose the research that their boating industry organizations have funded, which does not match the groundbreaking research from the University of Minnesota’s Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory.

NMMA believes a statewide standard that requires wakesurfing 200 feet from shore in depths of 10 feet or greater minimizes environmental impacts

The U of MN research on wave energy from wakesurfing suggest that the distances from shore need to be much greater to achieve a less destructive wave hitting the shore. And their research on lakebed impacts from wakesurfing suggest that the depth of water need to be much greater to minimize the environmental impacts.

Enbridge, DNR reach $2.8M agreement to resolve Line 3 aquifer breach

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image of large oil tank with Enbridge name

With the Christmas holiday approaching you may have missed this. 

On December 22, 2025, Minnesota Public Radio reported that Canadian company Enbridge has agreed to a nearly $3 million settlement for piercing a groundwater aquifer while building the Line 3 oil pipeline in northern Minnesota.  The MN Department of Natural Resources said it reached the agreement with Enbridge over the aquifer breach that was discovered in 2022 near Swatara in Aitkin County

A new $28M program for the environment

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MN ENTRF Community Grant Program logo

Funded by Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and managed by the MN DNR, the new Community Grant Program will support projects for the public purpose of protection, conservation, preservation and enhancement of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife and other natural resources.

The program will increase the number and diversity of grant recipients who receive ENRTF funding, especially in communities that have been adversely affected by pollution and environmental degradation. Grant awards will benefit communities and residents in all regions of our state.

During the 2025 session, lawmakers appropriated just over $28 million from the ENRTF to the DNR for the Community Grants Program. That funding is available until June 30, 2029. The MN DNR is in the process of developing the structure and processes of the program. We will try to keep you in the look as more becomes known. In the meantime, you can get more information on this exciting new program on the DNR’s website.

Join the Minnesota Cattail Collaborative

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MN Cattail Collaborative logo

This project, part of the MAISRC Lab to Lakes initiative, is testing invasive cattail management across Minnesota lakes; restoring native nearshore habitats, reconnecting lake ecosystems, supporting healthy fish communities, and empowering local management through participatory science.

Groups such as lake associations, watershed districts, lake improvement districts, state park managers, and others can participate.

If you have invasive cattails and want to get involved in this exciting research work, check out the Cattail Collaborative webpage for more information.  MN Sea Grant and MAISRC are recruiting participants this winter. They will be hosting a virtual workshop for participants and will help participants find management partners.

DNR hosts 2026 Roundtable

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2026 MN DNR Roundtable logo

The DNR’s annual Roundtable was held on January 9, 2026. 

Jim Kutzner (MN COLA) and Sue Wolf (President of the Cedar Lake Conservation Club in Wright County) attended the event and have provided a terrific writeup. Their writeup includes links to some of the recorded portions of the program. It’s worth reading! Click here to read the writeup.

Recap of the MN COLA/SafeWakes seminar

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MN COLA and SafeWakes logos in a single frame

Our members rank “enhanced wake activities” as one of their three most pressing issues. To that end, MN COLA has been working for years on the environmental and safety challenges from recreation using enhanced wakes. Finding ways to share and protect our incredible water resources is the goal and it will require several steps.

  • One step is to raise awareness and increase the understanding of the impacts of enhanced wake activities across the boating population. MN COLA was a vocal proponent at the 2023 legislature, arguing for a mandatory boat operator’s license in Minnesota intended to improve safety on the water. Obtaining that license requires that boaters complete an education program that addresses among other things, best practices related to boating safety, AIS, and minimizing conflicts on the water. 
  • Another step is obtaining the science to underpin possible solutions. MN COLA actively supports the work done by the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota to understand the impact of boat wakes and propellor thrust. 
  • And we believe that some form of regulation will be required to achieve the balance needed for recreation, safety, and environmental protection. Unfortunately, a statewide approach isn’t likely in the near term. In the interim, obtaining local regulations on surface water activities may be possible using the DNR petition process. In fact, it was used in 2024 by Caribou Lake in Cook County to establish surface water restrictions on enhanced wake activities.

This special seminar was designed to provide an overview of the DNR petition process. 

Here are links to materials from the seminar, including:

Presentation slides in PDF format which you can download

References – these are important links discussed in the seminar

Recorded videos:

The presentation

The Q&A portion of the seminar

Septic Systems and Water Quality – What’s the Impact?

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drawing of an underground properly designed septic system

Sara Heger, U of MN’s Onsite Sewage Treatment Program set the stage at a recent MN COLA meeting to talk about the connection between septic systems and water quality. She discussed Minnesota’s rules, as well as how a properly operated septic system functions, and what and how things can go wrong. She is the go-to person for all things septic!

Sara’s presentation can be seen HERE.

Otter Tail County’s Vacation Home Rental Ordinance

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VRBOs and similar rental situations are raising some concerns among lake residents and one county has set rules and processes for managing rental properties to the benefit of all shoreland owners and users. Chris LeClair, Director of Otter Tail County’s Land and Resource department explained the new rules and led an excellent discussion of Otter Tail County’s Vacation Home Rental Ordinance. The presentation can be seen HERE.

DNR conducts roadside watercraft inspection in Wright County

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DNR doing an AIS roadside check of watercraft
Photo credit: MN DNR

So, what’s up ahead? Wow, the DNR is doing an AIS roadside check of watercraft!

At the end of June on a Friday afternoon, the Minnesota DNR conducted a roadside inspection of watercraft on Highway 55 in Wright County, just east of Annandale. This part of Wright County, known as “Heart of the Lakes,” boasts highly recreated lakes within an hour of the metro.  Also, it is home to three lakes with populations of starry stonewort, an invasive species.

The roadside check was on June 28th from 3:00 to 6:30pm. Major Scott Staples, Enforcement Division, MN DNR reports that 16 watercrafts were inspected with one violation noted. A citation was issued for transporting aquatic plants.

“This is just a small sample of what we have been doing statewide,” Major Staples shares. “We have been doing check stations for about 10 years and statewide compliance has been about 90%”.

Thanks to the DNR for this visible and expanded component of the Watercraft Inspection Program.

Enhanced wakes lumber across the US

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US map with locations of wake boat legislation under consideration

This spring has brought a variety of state actions to address the personal safety and ecological impacts of enhanced wake watersports.

Vermont is now implementing the toughest restrictions in the US. Maine has passed a bill calling for a 300’ distance from shore and a new study. Michigan introduced legislation but the uproar was enough to stall it out for now. Wisconsin passed legislation calling for a study.

And MN COLA is continuing to follow the path we agreed to with our lobbyists with MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates to first get science completed, then build a strong base with the watercraft operator’s license and mandatory education including best practices for enhanced wake watersports.

There’s more to each story, so read on.

Vermont

Vermont’s new rule for managing wake boats on inland lakes and ponds went into effect on April 15, 2024. The new rule includes three important changes described below:

  1. It defines a wake boat as a “motorboat that has one or more ballast tanks, ballast bags or other devices or design features used to increase the size of the motorboat’s wake.”
  1. It includes a “Home Lake Rule” provision, which states that during the summer boating season, wake boats must remain in the same lake (the designated home lake) unless decontaminated by a State-certified service provider.
  1. It restricts wake sport activities on Vermont’s inland lakes and ponds to areas where: 

• The water depth is at least 20 feet.

• The wake boat’s distance from shore is at least 500 feet; and

• The wake sport zone (determined by 1 and 2 above) is more than 50 acres.

Maine

Despite hurdles that rendered legislation dead in 2023, a new law was signed by the Governor on April 9, 2024, with provisions including:

  • Boat dealer requirements to inform purchasers about boater safety and education courses offered by the state, as well as information related to those operators who are required to complete those courses.
  • A 300-foot minimum distance from shore and a 15-foot minimum depth for all wakesurfing activities, with civil fines not to exceed $100. If convicted 3 times in 5 years the conviction is reclassified to a Class E crime
  • The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) shall develop an outreach program to provide boater safety and education to persons engaged in wakesurfing activities in the State.
  • MDIFW to submit a report focused on wake boats and wakesurfing activities in the State by February 1, 2027, to include detailed information on enforcement mechanisms and the level of enforcement undertaken, as measured by statistics when data are available, including the number of reported incidents, the number of complaints and the number of boats checked. The report may include information on enforcement challenges, the department’s view on the appropriate water depth and distance from the shoreline for users engaged in a wakesurfing activity and any recommendations for statutory changes related to these issues.

Michigan

House Bill 5532 was introduced on February 29, 2024, specifying thata person shall not operate a vessel in wake sport mode on waters of this state where the water depth is less than 20 feet. A person operating a vessel in wake sport mode shall maintain a distance of not less than 500 feet from the shoreline or a dock, a raft, a buoyed or occupied bathing area, or a vessel moored or at anchor.

The negative response to the bill introduced was anticipated, but the sheer volume of emails against responsible regulation was staggering. Unfortunately for political election reasons, this bill might not get a committee hearing until after the November General Election.

Wisconsin

Senate Bill 1016 with prohibitions for lakes smaller than 1,500 acres and minimum distances of 700’ from shore and 20’ depth of water is off the table because the public pushback was very powerful.

In a compromise, Assembly Bill 1171 requires the University of Wisconsin System to submit a plan for conducting a wakeboat study and request funding for conducting the wakeboat study in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium. Even the bill for the study didn’t make it out of committee in time, so it is dead.

Wisconsin can do local ordinances and a few local jurisdictions that have started creating limits for wake boats.

Minnesota

Cook County received approval from the MN DNR on their proposed wake surfing ordinance for Caribou Lake near Lutsen. This is a first surface water use ordinance on wake surfing and enhanced wakes in Minnesota. Specifically:

WAKE SURFING: Wake surfing, defined as the untethered use of a surfboard behind a watercraft, is prohibited on Caribou Lake in any area that meets one or more of the following criteria:

  • Any area that is less than 500 feet from the shoreline or another watercraft.
  • Any area in which the water depth is less than 20 feet.

WAKE ENHANCEMENT: No person may operate a boat on Caribou Lake in an artificially bow-high manner, in order to increase or enhance the boat’s wake. Such prohibited operation shall include wake enhancement by use of ballast, mechanical hydrofoils, uneven loading or operation at transition speed. Transition speed means the speed at which the boat is operating at greater than slow-no-wake speed, but not fast enough so that the boat is on plane. It shall not be a violation of this ordinance to operate a boat through the ordinary transition from no wake to up on plane and from on plane to no wake.

MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLR) published an overview of their strategy and approach to the wakes issue. Nothing changed from their previous direction.

MN COLA embraced the MLR direction early on, and we are committed to the approach. We worked hard to get the research funded. We worked hard to get the Watercraft Operator’s License bill passed. We embraced the Phase 1 report from the St. Anthony Falls Lab when it was published, and we look forward to the Phase 2 report addressing the depth of water concerns. With the Phase 2 results, we will be able to push to include both distance from shore and depth of water in the best practices section of the mandatory education component of the Operator’s License.

Elsewhere in the US

There are actions happening in other states, but these are some of the most interesting. And as expected, the watersports industry is pushing back hard on any proposed regulation, so each state action is quite a slog.