Michigan Chapter North American Lake Management Society
The purpose of McNALMS is to promote understanding and comprehensive management of Michigan's inland lake ecosystems
Wake Boat Operations and Impacts Reviewed
A review of wake boats and their operations and impacts has been written by William Scott Brown, board member of McNALMS. If you are interested in the full text copy, click on the link at the end of this excerpt.
The substantive findings of several peer reviewed scientific investigations that have been conducted in recent years clearly demonstrate that the upsurge in the number of wake enhanced boats operating on the inland lakes of the Laurentian Great Lakes region are likely responsible for rendering an array of adverse impacts on frequently exposed aquatic ecosystems. A dramatic upsurge in sales of recreational vessels that are designed and operated for the sole purpose of enabling enhanced wake dependent water sports by generating wakes that possess kinetic energy levels that greatly exceed those that occur naturally has helped gain the attention of state and local government officials, law enforcement agencies, lake managers, lake conservation advocacy groups, and the news media. In addition to their significant potential to have a negative impact on vulnerable aquatic ecosystems, regularly occurring, well publicized incidents involving high energy wake perpetrated over turned kayaks, swamped fishing boats, hazardous swimming conditions, and damage to moored boats, piers, and docks have served to help focus public attention on the frequently disruptive watercraft. Heated discussion regarding the difficult public policy question of whether operation of the increasingly popular though controversial water craft should somehow be restricted, or even banned in some cases, has now migrated from marinas to state capitols where legislators, and lobbyists representing the special interests of a powerful group of stakeholders remain deeply divided on the issue (Orenstein, 2020).
Wake boats, also referred to as wake enhanced boats, are designed to generate the high energy wakes that are required to enable wake surfing and wakeboarding (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Goudey and Girod, 2015). Wake surfing, the significantly more popular of the wake enabled water sports due to the fact that it is safer and much easier for most people to master than wake boarding (Ray, 2020), involves riders who surf the substantial wake that results from shifting ballast water to the aft (rear) corner on the side of the boat that is to be surfed (Mercier-Blais and Prairie, 2014; Ruprecht et al., 2015). Enabled by operating speeds ranging from 8 - 13 mph (13 - 21 km/h), wake surfers are not attached to their boards, and are not supported by tow ropes (Ruprecht et al., 2015). In contrast, wakeboarding, whose rise in popularity began in the late 1990’s, usually involves more athletically inclined participants who strive to perform acrobatics while airborne during high jumps that are achieved by using the enhanced wakes produced by their supporting water craft as transient ‘launch’ ramps (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Boyd, 2016). Engaged at speeds ranging from 18 - 30 mph (29 - 48 km/h) (Ruprecht et al., 2015), wakeboarders are attached to their board, and pulled along well behind their supporting boat by a tow rope of up to 85 feet (26 meters) in length (Allen et al., 2019). From: A Review of the Adverse Impacts Attributed to the Operation of Wake Enhanced Boats on Inland Lake Ecosystems
Wake boats, also referred to as wake enhanced boats, are designed to generate the high energy wakes that are required to enable wake surfing and wakeboarding (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Goudey and Girod, 2015). Wake surfing, the significantly more popular of the wake enabled water sports due to the fact that it is safer and much easier for most people to master than wake boarding (Ray, 2020), involves riders who surf the substantial wake that results from shifting ballast water to the aft (rear) corner on the side of the boat that is to be surfed (Mercier-Blais and Prairie, 2014; Ruprecht et al., 2015). Enabled by operating speeds ranging from 8 - 13 mph (13 - 21 km/h), wake surfers are not attached to their boards, and are not supported by tow ropes (Ruprecht et al., 2015). In contrast, wakeboarding, whose rise in popularity began in the late 1990’s, usually involves more athletically inclined participants who strive to perform acrobatics while airborne during high jumps that are achieved by using the enhanced wakes produced by their supporting water craft as transient ‘launch’ ramps (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Boyd, 2016). Engaged at speeds ranging from 18 - 30 mph (29 - 48 km/h) (Ruprecht et al., 2015), wakeboarders are attached to their board, and pulled along well behind their supporting boat by a tow rope of up to 85 feet (26 meters) in length (Allen et al., 2019). From: A Review of the Adverse Impacts Attributed to the Operation of Wake Enhanced Boats on Inland Lake Ecosystems
National NALMS 2022 Student Poster Contest
July has been Lakes Appreciation Month for the past 24 years; to celebrate, the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) is inviting elementary, middle, and high school students to submit posters reflecting on how important lakes are to all of us. Submitted artwork will be a big part of NALMS’ celebrations through July across North America. Show your love for lakes by sending NALMS your artwork!
Posters will be judged by grade range, with a winning poster in each division - elementary (grades K-4), middle (grades 5-8), and high school (9-12): • A $250 cash prize will be awarded to the three winning artists’ schools! Schools are encouraged to utilize these funds for STEM or lake ecology curriculum/materials, activities, and/or field trips.• A $50 cash prize will be awarded to the three winning student artists!• Winning submissions will be featured on the NALMS website, e-newsletter, and social media channels.
Full instructions are available on the NALMS website.
Videos and presentations from the 2022 Great Lakes conference are now available on the Great Lakes website. See below for more information on this past conference.
If you missed any of the presentations from the 2021 Shoreline and Shallows Conference: A New Wave of Thinking, both the videos and presentations are posted on the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership website.
Past Research Projects Funded in 2020
The Michigan Chapter North American Lake Management Society (McNALMS) and the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association (MLSA) announce two recipients of the 2020 Lake Research Student Grants Program. They are Emily Neuman from Grand Valley State University and Emmet Smrcka from Central Michigan University. Each will receive $2000 toward their research project.The student grants program is a joint collaboration between McNALMS and MLSA. The purpose of the program is to promote student efforts to work with lakes and lake communities to enhance lake management. The program seeks projects that increase the understanding of lake ecology, strengthen collaborative lake management, address inland lakes fisheries, build lake partnerships and/or expand citizen involvement in lake management.Neuman’s project will deal with Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa), a macroalgae that has invaded many of Michigan lakes. Its excessive growth is thought to interfere with fish spawning habitats and change microbial communities.
Chinese Mystery Snails. Photo by D. Spalsbury, Kansas Dept. Wildlife and Parks, Bugwood.org
Starry Stonewort with bulbils. Photo by Pam Tyning
Her research, titled, Star Wars: Phenology of Nitellopsis obtusa in Pentwater Lake, Michigan will help to determine when peak biomass of the species occurs and how changes in climate might affect plant growth from fragments. She will also utilize databases and herbarium records to look at which physical, chemical, and biological parameters may be important in the supporting the successful establishment of starry stonewort in lakes. She hopes that the results of this research will help inform management plans for Pentwater lake and other lakes in the region.Smrcka’s research will focus on three invasive snails that have invaded some Michigan lakes: Chinese, Japanese and Banded Mystery snails(Cipangopaludina chinensis, Cipangopaludina japonica, and Vivaparus georgianus, respectively). These snails have been found to alter lake ecosystems, feed on fish embryos, and possibly transmit parasites that can kill waterfowl. They could also clog water intake pipe screens. The extent of these snail populations are not well known. By sampling a subset of lakes, Smrcka hopes to determine which lakes have one or more of these species. He also hopes to provide key lake characteristics that could be used in predicting whether other lakes could support the snails if they are introduced and which lakes may be at a higher risk for invasion.Both McNALMS and MLSA congratulate these two grant recipients.
Lunch and Learn Program Presentations
Harmful Algal Blooms: Ecology, Impacts and Management
FEATURED PRESENTATIONS
Dr. Ann St. Amand, President, PhycoTech, MI on Lake Level Identification of Harmful Algal Blooms and Their Ecology Part 1 and Part 2 Dr. West Bishop, SePRO Corp., NC on Combating Toxic Cyanobacteria
Dr. Ann St. Amand, President, PhycoTech, MI on Lake Level Identification of Harmful Algal Blooms and Their Ecology Part 1 and Part 2 Dr. West Bishop, SePRO Corp., NC on Combating Toxic Cyanobacteria
Managing Fish Habitat in a Changing Climate
FEATURED PRESENTATIONS
Kevin Wehrly, Fisheries Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Inland Lake Climate Change Science and Information
Pete Jacobson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Protecting Coldwater Fish from Climate Change
Pete Jacobson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Protecting Coldwater Fish from Climate Change
Shoreland Stewards Program Releases Videos
Five videos have been released by the the Shoreland Stewards Program, a part of the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership. The videos explore the four zones of lakefront property and teach lakefront property residents how to be a "Shoreland Steward." The Shoreland Stewards program was created to recognize inland lake property owners who are maintaining their property in a way that reduces negative impacts that development can have on inland lakes to ensure healthy lakes for future generations for both people and fish and wildlife. The videos can be accessed on The Partnership's YouTube channel. Find out more information at: www.mishorelandstewards.org
Conservation Planner Tool Provides Lake Data for Great Lakes Region
The Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership (MGLP) has released its new MGLP Conservation Planner, which provides lake data to inform communicators, managers, and researchers about lakes throughout the Great Lakes region. Specifically, the MGLP Conservation Planner provides data on likely suitability for fishes, land cover along the shoreline and in the lake’s watershed, and conservation recommendations to supplement existing information for each lake. Its recommended uses include provision of data to inform single-lake management, establishment of a framework for conservation strategies in each lake, identification of patterns in fish habitat due to climate and land use change, and as a supplement during potential prioritization of limited resources among lakes.
Great Lakes Conference 2022 Presentations Available
The Great Lakes are one of Michigan’s greatest resources, providing recreational opportunities, a premier fisheries resource, water for agriculture, manufacturing, and other industries and multiple other uses. They are also subject to major problems such as invasive species, climate change, and harmful algal blooms. The 32th annual Great Lakes Conference, The Great Lakes: Connecting Science and Management, was held Tuesday, March 8, 2022 in East Lansing. Topics included environmental justice around fish consumption; predator prey studies; lake trout in Lake Michigan; addressing health with environmental surveillance; freak waves and meteo-tsuanmis; water level variability, inundation in coastal communities and high water level impacts for the last few years; and connecting people with Great Lakes information using wireless buoys. To view the recordings and presentations, visit the Great Lakes website.
