Quote:
Originally Posted by caloway
There's nothing out there that erodes like a good wind out of the NW and the lake has managed to deal with it for eons.
|
Yes, the eons (more like 12,000 years) of natural erosion has sculpted the shoreline, but the last 100 years of human activity has made its mark. Boat wakes in many places are perpendicular (ie, NE/SW) to the more common natural direction (NW), so is eroding the shoreline in new ways. Weekend boat wake is also stirring up the bottom sediment more strongly and frequently than wind storms. This releases additional nutrients from the shallows into the water column and increases algae growth, which creates more nutrient rich muck on the bottom. A vicious cycle.
There are good reasons for no-wake restrictions on much more of the lake, but recreation value out-weighs the ecological concerns. Water quality in most parts of the lake will probably be acceptable for at least the rest of this century and probably most of the next.
If the state changes the rules for no-wake or no-rafting in one neighborhood, for fairness, it should (IMHO) redefine requirements for the whole lake. Why should one area get more privacy and erosion protection and not others?