Jeffrey Marr to present 'Do horsepower and wake boating matter to your lake?'

BEMIDJI — Itasca Waters' free online Water Wisdom series continues at noon on Thursday, May 4, featuring Jeffrey Marr presenting “Do horsepower and wake boating matter to your lake?”

Marr is the associate director of St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. The university initiated a research program called the Healthy Waters Initiative in 2020 based at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory focusing on the impacts that recreational boating has on lake environments.

"Boating has been popular a activity in our state for decades, but several important trends motivate our research to study boating impacts to lakes," a release said. "One trend is that the quantity of recreational activities and the number of boats on the water are both increasing."

Activities like standup paddle boarding, personal watercraft, wake surfing and kayak fishing are a few examples. Also, the size, weight and horsepower of recreational boats are increasing rapidly.

Concerns over congestion as well as impacts of large waves and propeller wash from large boats motivate the need for research to inform citizens, boat owners and lake managers on protecting lakes.

The program's first study, completed and published in February 2022, focused on documenting the height, energy and power of waves generated by different kinds of recreational boats, including wake surf boats.

The study should provide insights into how deep propeller wash penetrates into the lake and recommendations on minimum water depth for wake surfing and other boating activities.

The university hopes to begin a third research project this fall funded by the State of Minnesota. This new three-year project will dive deeper into topics of propeller wash and boat wakes and will also look at the impact of wind waves on littoral zones and shorelines, the release said.

Registration is available online at itascawaters.org/water-wisdom-2023. Once registered, participants will receive a Zoom invite by email, with periodic reminders to join the program. For more information, contact info@itascawaters.org.

The Practical Water Wisdom series is the brainchild of Itasca Waters, a nonprofit organization located in Itasca County whose mission is to team up with other organizations and concerned citizens to maintain abundant, clean water for continued health, enjoyment and a strong economy.