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A hot-take on excessive wake

by MADISON HARDY
Staff Writer | April 6, 2021 1:07 AM

As the summer season approaches, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris asked Spokane River residents about their take on the waterway's issues through a town hall and survey last Thursday. 

Norris said he had received calls from those in favor and against boating on the Spokane River. Instead of taking the word of one person, particular interest group, or association, he opted to open the discussion to the people who matter most — the residents. 

Kootenai County's 18 lakes and 54 miles of navigable waterways encompass a little over 7.5% of Idaho's water. However, the 20,000 registered boaters within the county amount to 25% of the state total. 

"That's not including people that are coming from out of state to boat here," Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Justin Arts said during the event. "So to say that we have a lot of boaters is an understatement."

Out of the 4,324 hours Arts said the KCSO Marine Division patrolled Kootenai County's waterways, 1,476 — or almost one-third — were spent on the Spokane River. 

During that time, patrol officers issued 85 citations, 27 of those on the river, and only two were for violating Kootenai County's 100-foot no-wake zone rule. Due to the newness of the county's 150-foot no excessive wake ordinance on the Spokane River and the Fernan and Lower Twin Lakes, KCSO chose to educate rather than cite boaters that broke the rule. 

Still, the town hall participants quickly pointed out that what the officers see may not be the same experience as residents. Many told stories of boat-induced waves crashing on their docks, damaging property and compromising the safety of their families. 

One, Dana Wing, said those waves had cost him $30,000. He's watched over the last few years as boats speed by his house, sending rushes of water to the shore of his home, sucking sand, and his retaining wall, back into the lake. 

"First, I lost 30 feet. Then I lost the additional 50 feet," Wing said. "I only had a little less than 20 feet still standing at the end of the season." 

Wing's house sits at the bottom of a hill, limiting contractors and construction workers from transporting supplies to repair the loss. As a result, Wing said he had to hire a barge to bring riprap across the lake and rebuild 100 feet of retaining wall. Despite the difficulty it posed, he said replacing the wall was critical to preserving his property's longevity. 

"I want people to wakeboard. I want people to surf. I want people to do all that stuff, but they shouldn't do it in that area," Wing said. "Please do it out on the lake, where they have plenty of area for the waves to dissipate before it hits the shore with full impact."

Gary Maddock and Vic Parrish expressed similar issues, referencing several thousands of dollars spent in the last several years to replace damaged or eroded pilings. 

"It's not every year, but the damage over time has been getting worse and worse," Parrish said. 

Not only is it costly, but Maddock said that safety had become a constant concern. He explained that the waterway has become crowded with excessive-wake boats, endangering recreational boaters and swimmers. 

"It's almost like trying to walk across a football field during a football game," Maddock said. "You're both going to get knocked down and hurt in the process." 

The risk excessive wakes pose to safety was felt first hand by Ken Stauffer, who watched as his 2-year-old granddaughter was thrown off the dock by a wave. 

"It took her right off the dock. If I hadn't been standing right there, she would have ended up underneath our boat or between the lift," Stauffer said. 

Despite the county's best efforts to quell the issue through the 150-foot no-excessive-wake zone ordinance, Stauffer said the rule didn't make a dent in the waves crashing on his property. 

He pointed out that it's not all the boaters, estimating maybe 10% of the recreationists on any given weekend. However, those few are creating 99% of the problem. 

"Nobody else can use the river when they're out there. Kayakers, paddle boarders, the guys trying to fish with their family," he said. "You literally flat out can't without risking life or a limb. It's a huge problem. The people who live out there we're of a universal opinion that it's just a matter of time before somebody is going to die." 

KSCO will continue to patrol the Spokane River this summer heavily, Norris said, with particular attention to the first three weeks of the season. 

"We do invest about a third of our deputy's time on the river," he said. "And do I plan on having a strong presence on the river this year? Absolutely I do."