Editorials
The Editorial section of the PLIA web site that provides commentary, opinions, insights, stories and events from a group of guest columnists who have a connection to the lake. Choose a columnist from the menu on the left. [The views and opinions of columnists are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the PLIA or its members.]
| June 2006 - Digby McFibben |
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| Written by Digby McFibben | |
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Back in my day the ‘No Wake Zone’ was a 150-foot radius from wherever Grandpa was napping. You enter the zone, you get a beating; it was that simple. Now-a-days people seem to be all confused by what this mysterious ‘No Wake Zone’ is. Judging by the way people drive their boats through the ‘No Wake Zones’ you’d think they were rushing a pregnant woman to the hospital. Either that or they’re illiterates or maybe they just don’t give a hang about the lake. Let’s see, No Wake Zone could mean that you shouldn’t have funeral services in the shallow, ecologically fragile parts of the lake. Burials at sea must take place in the deep end of the lake. I would suggest the center of the north side; the NH Fish & Game lake depth contour maps mark that as the deepest spot on the lake. I understand Jimmy Hoffa resides there and he hasn’t bothered anybody in awhile. Hmmm, maybe we should refer to those bastions of clarity, the NH legal system. According to the law: “No” means No (I already knew that one). "Wake" means any disturbance created on the surface of the water as a result of combined vessel motion and hull displacement. “Zone" means an area where all boats are required to operate at headway speed. “Fine” means upon conviction, a $55.00 fine for violating a “No Wake” limit. So, why would the learned folk up in Concord go to the trouble of writing laws defining “No Wake Zones” and fining people who violate them? It’s not like these NH lawmakers get paid for writing new laws (unlike their Washington D.C. brethren, who apparently get paid by the word). Turns out that wakes from boats in “No Wake Zones” destroy fragile shorelines, cause erosion that leads to phosphorus loading, wipes out wildlife habitats, interrupts gamefish spawning, ruins Loon nesting sites, erodes shoreline leading to trees falling into the lake, stirs up and distributes water weeds and algae to other parts of the lake, damages docks and shoreline walls that prevent erosion, and I almost forgot, safety. Most “No Wake Zones” are in narrow, constricted waterways where there isn’t much room to navigate. Apparently, these aren’t enough reasons for some folks. I have a headache. I’m taking a nap Digby McFibben |
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