# Crowded waterways anger nearby residents



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

This post would normally be in the boating forum, but this topic of public trust waters VS private big money also impacts fishers, hunters, and all public waters.

Crowded waterways anger nearby residents - 07/22/05

Some Metro Detroit homeowners want access and usage of their inland lakes restricted.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0507/22/B01-255920.htm

KEEGO HARBOR -- The expansive, rippling waters of Cass Lake drew Laura Bolan to her Keego Harbor home in 1966. 

For decades, the 67-year-old took advantage of the valuable lake-access perk she received when she purchased her property. But traffic and congestion on the lake have her wishing the personal watercraft and speed boats would simply go away. 

"I don't go down there anymore because there's just too much traffic on the lake. They keep crowding and crowding our beach," she said. "People have been screaming about it for years, and no one seems to be listening." 

Bolan is not alone in her gripes. Officials and lakeshore residents say tensions run high between boaters who see the state's thousands of inland lakes as powerboat playgrounds and those who prefer more placid pursuits. An especially hot and humid season is highlighting some of the conflicts. 

To some waterfront dwellers, an idyllic pond may seem perfect for a leisurely paddleboat ride. But that same cove may appeal to skiers eager to tear through the glassy, calm surface. A lake crowded with motorboats may thwart kayakers looking for a relaxed route. And fishermen grumble that early-morning activity by any motorized craft can scare away a potential catch. 

Concerns about property values add to the mix of emotions. Many of the homes on area lakes began as small cottages in the 1940s and 1950s, but locals over the years have replaced these rustic getaways with all-weather homes, some of which command $1 million and up in Oakland County. 

The aquatic advantage makes these properties extremely valuable in the real estate market, especially when water use isn't restricted. 

Reginald Bobo, 26, of Bloomfield Hills heads to Cass Lake "every day I can" to tool around on his personal watercraft. The engineer said he frequently sees marine patrols on the lake. 

"You just have to stay alert and stick to the areas you know," he said. "You have to look around and watch for boats all the time." 

The Keego Harbor City Council has grappled with lake use issues for most of the summer, said City Manager Carolyn Lehr. 

"There are many complaints about the level of activity and the congestion," she said. "The city has very limited jurisdiction, but we do have the legal ability to restrict and regulate lake access. We're trying to be responsive." 

Keego Harbor residents in 1999 were successful in convincing the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to apply a no-wake rule to Dollar Lake, a small bay that connects to popular Cass Lake, the largest lake in Oakland County. But complaints persist, according to Lehr. 

In Michigan, unless a body of water is specifically restricted by the DNR, a lake or river is presumed to be an "all-sports" venue, in that all types of power craft and sports such as water skiing are permitted. To change activity limits on a lake, residents must persuade their local government to appeal to the DNR. After a process of public hearings and other fact-gathering, the department may change a lake's designation. In 1999, no-wake limitations were placed on a total of three Oakland County lakes, including Dollar, Marl and Middle Straits. 

Quelling tempers and policing the public waterways are duties shared by the DNR and local sheriff's deputies. But Lt. Linda Copeland-Morgan, the DNR's district law supervisor for southeast Michigan, is quick to point out the department is concerned with water safety -- not neighbor disputes. 

"We hear all kinds of stuff, but the bottom line is people don't want to see people using the lake other than their family or friends," she said. "They want to keep it closed to the community, but every public body of water is a shared use. Nobody gets to hog it." 

The DNR each year gets about 25 requests to pass more stringent laws on the state's inland lakes, according to Lt. Creig Grey, acting staff captain of the department's marine, off-road vehicle and snowmobile programs. Of those, only a handful will present significant safety problems and prompt the department to apply a new rule, he said. 

The department this summer is investigating resident-initiated requests to apply a no-wake rule in the out state counties of Mecosta and Berrien, said Sgt. Al Bavarskas, who is in charge of investigating the requests. The state will hold public hearings late this summer to determine the extent of the problems on Townline Lake in Mecosta and Wagner Lake in Berrien. 

"There are so many existing state laws, that 99 times out of 100, more aggressive law enforcement will resolve the problem rather than slapping more rules on the lake," Bavarskas said. 

A decision to add restrictions is based on safety and, to a certain extent, resident demand. Not surprisingly, the meetings can get "very, very heated," he said. 

Residents who live on no-wake lakes, where any moving craft is restricted to travel without creating waves, must at times cope with boaters who travel too fast, or with personal watercraft. At Shangri-La Lake in Livingston County, vigilant homeowners in recent years have chased personal watercraft users to the shoreline to get them to obey the law, said Debbie Kooperman, secretary of the Shangri-La Association, which includes about 74 homeowners. 

"There's a lot of pride in the original intent of the development, which is to have a small, quiet, peaceful lake," she said. "They do take a lot of pride in the no-wake factor. Homeowners will go out and make sure others are aware of it and the marine deputies will issues tickets when there's a violation." 

Bavarskas, the marine sergeant who handles petitions to institute more local water-control laws, said he expects more requests this fall to put more limits on Michigan's inland lakes. 

"It's been so hot, and the heat has been so consistent, the boating traffic seems to have doubled," he said. 

"After boating season, when people have more indoor time, that's when they start to talk about the crowds and say, 'hey, let's make this a slow no-wake for next year.' 

"But more regs have to benefit everyone on the lake, not just the one or two people." 


You can reach Amy Lee at (248) 647-8605 or [email protected].


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## walranger5 (May 1, 2005)

Good One Tom, As The Shoreline Lakes Fill With Goby More Preople Move Inland, Wolf Lake, Wolverine, And Hess Already Showing Signs Of To Much Pressure Once The Word Gets Out They Move In Like Locusts Little Lakes 
Can't Take The Pressure, That A Big Lake With A Bunch Of Real Fish Can!


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Keego Harbor aims to rein in sandbar parties
City weighs rules for Cass Lake

Keego Harbor and the Department of Natural Resources are taking a hard look at the complaints and may soon come up with a plan to regulate the sandbar -- the first such plan in the state, and one that other communities may consider.

"It could very well be a test case for other lakes," said City Attorney Thomas Ryan. "We're not trying to stop people from using the lake. But we can't just have wall-to-wall boats anchored out there."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/NEWS03/803090571


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Actually it wouldnt be the first. The DNR has a plan in effect to eliminate this problem at South Higgins Lake state park starting this year.


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## FishTales (Feb 13, 2002)

And they also tried to stop Jobbie Nooner on Lake St. Clair  :yikes:
Rich


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## ryanl01 (Oct 3, 2007)

Can't wait for jobbie this year and of course can't forget PUT N BAY (christmas in July).


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