DANVILLE, Vt. (WCAX) – This year, Vermont limited wakesports to 30 inland lakes. Now, Vermonters are pushing to whittle it down to 20.
Dave Kidney of West Danville spent the last 42 summers kayaking, canoeing, and tubing with grandkids on Joe’s pond. “It’s one of the jewels of the Northeast Kingdom,” said Kidney. But a few years ago, Kidney says wakeboats popped up and monopolized the pond. “They usurp the pond. The ocean-size wakes that are created make it unsafe for traditional normal users,” said Kidney. This spring, Vermont issued its first wakesport ban citing recreational issues and environmental concerns like shoreline erosion. Wakesports are limited to 30 inland lakes within designated zones at least 500 feet from shore. Joe’s Pond is one of those eligible zones, but Kidney hopes to change that. He recently authored a petition urging the state to ban wakesports on the pond. “There was this kind of unanimous outcry that these don’t belong on inland lakes,” said Kidney. Joe’s Pond is one of ten waterbodies petitioning for a wakesport ban citing safety concerns. The Agency of Natural Resources says it’s reviewing the petitions and public comments to decide whether bans are warranted. “Our job is to really look at the science and balance people’s requests and, you know, allow for reasonable uses of all the water bodies,” said Laura Dlugolecki of the Agency of Natural Resources. Dlugolecki says local wakesporters believe resolution without further restrictions is possible. “I think some of them feel that some of the concerns are exaggerated and that with some better education on sports etiquette, that wakesports and other traditional uses of these water bodies could coexist,” said Dlugolecki. But Kidney says spots like Joe’s Pond with one of the smallest eligible wakeboating zones in the state just aren’t fit for the disruptive sport.
He worries the boats bring invasive species to the pond like this summer’s milfoil outbreak. “The environmental impact of this elite, neat sport is huge,” said Kidney.