No-wake zone proposed on Upper Priest Lake

COOLIN - A move is afoot to restore some of the tranquility to Upper Priest Lake by designating the body of water as a no-wake zone.

The Bonner County Waterways Advisory Board is seeking the public's input on the proposal during its monthly meeting in Coolin on Thursday, Sept. 16. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the Coolin Groomer/Fire building at 4677 Dickensheet Road.

"They wanted to have a meeting up there to get as many people involved to see how people feel about it," said Leslie Marshall, the county's waterways supervisor.

The waterways board makes recommendations to the county commission on local boating regulations.

The upper lake is connected to Priest Lake by a 3-mile channel known as the thoroughfare, which has a no-wake requirement, although some complain it is poorly enforced. There is also a prohibition against water skiing in the thoroughfare and on Upper Priest, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages lands on the west side of the lake.

There have been efforts over the years to outlaw internal combustion engines on the upper lake to cut down on noise, the spread of aquatic invasive species and shoreline erosion. But the efforts have run into stiff opposition from motorboat owners and commercial interests on the lake.

Marshall said the proposal before the county does not involve a prohibition on motorized vessels.

The only terrestrial route to the upper lake is by foot, which makes it a prime destination for hikers, campers and berry pickers who are looking for solitude. Boaters, whether motorized or not, also frequent Upper Priest for the same reason, especially when traffic on the lower lake picks up.

There are more than 20,000 surface acres of water on the lower lake, compared to about 1,300 acres on the upper lake.

One of the driving forces behind the no-wake proposal is the Selkirk Conservation Alliance, whose members contend the racket associated with powerboats and personal watercraft running at speed shatters the peace and quiet of Upper Priest.

Alliance members and supporters have forwarded scores of e-mails to the county to voice their support for the no-wake zone.

"Just ask yourself: do you feel better after spending an afternoon in a noisy environment, or a quiet one?" Melissa Quilter said in one of the e-mails.