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Public meeting on excessive wake Monday

by MADISON HARDY
Staff Writer | May 21, 2021 1:00 AM

Kootenai County is inviting the community to attend a public meeting Monday at 3 p.m. to discuss excessive wake on the Spokane River. 

Stemming from the rule approved by commissioners last May, the meeting will focus on Parks and Waterways Resolution 2020-38 that established a no excessive wake zone along the Spokane River, Fernan, and Lower Twin Lakes. The no excessive wake zone added a 150-foot area on top of the previous 100 foot no wake area on Kootenai County’s many waterways. 

In the rule language, excessive wake is defined as the wave that results from a vessel operating at a speed that “creates the most wake, moving quickly and displacing the most water, i.e., plowing.”

The discussion has received supporters from both sides since initial conversations began almost two years ago. After one season of education by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division, commissioners have decided to rehash the topic. 

The public is free to attend in person at the Kootenai County Administration Building or through a zoom link found at kcgov.us. 

To give comments before the meeting, email kcbocc@kcgov.us.