Boating Ordinance 2025-1

Please be notified that the Town of Springwater has passed Boating Ordinance 2025-1.

Of particular note is Section 8 Prohibited Activities (paraphrased):

No person shall swim more than 200 feet from shore unless accompanied by a competent person in a boat and having readily available a US Coast Guard approved Personal Floatation Device (PFD) for each person on board and in the water.

Prohibited Equipment: No person may use or employ on [Pine Lake] water sacks, ballast tanks, submersible wings or any other device which causes a boat to operate in a bow-high manner, or which increase or enhances a boat’s wake.

Prohibited Operation: No person may operate a boat on [Pine Lake] in an artificially bow-high manner in order to increase or enhance the boat’s wake. This includes the use of ballast, mechanical hydrofoils, uneven loading or operation at a transition speed where the boat is not quite planing or operating at a speed to support a skier.

For the complete ordinance click on the link above.

Boating Safety

These are just some boat operating practices that are dangerous and illegal in Wisconsin:

It is unlawful to operate a motorboat:

within 100 feet of any swimmer, diver, dock, raft, pier at a speed in excess of “no wake.”
at a speed in excess of no wake from one-half hour after sunset to sunrise. On Pine Lake this rule is from 5pm until 10am.
while a passenger is sitting on the gunwales, tops, backs or sides of seats, or on the decking over the bow while under way, unless such person is inboard of guards or railings sufficient to prevent the person from being lost overboard.
in a repeated circuitous course within 200 feet around any other boat or swimmer, or in a manner to create hazardous wakes.
while under the influence of an intoxicant or a controlled substance, or to use water skis or similar devices. In Wisconsin, all motor boat operators are deemed to have given consent to a blood alcohol test.

Chasing, harassing, or disturbing wildlife with your vessel.

Please be considerate of your neighbors, wildlife and others who enjoy the lake.

Wisconsin Boating Regulations

Be sure to review the entire document Wisconsin Boating Regulations to learn about statewide regulations.

TRAINING: may 24th, 2025

The Clean Boats Clean Water (CBCW) KICK OFF will be on Saturday, May 24th from 9-10 am at the Pine Lake BOAT LANDING.

Come enjoy Donuts and Camaraderie!

CBCW has:

enabled the Lake Association to apply for large grants,
helped educate those who use the lake,
introduced lake people to other lake people,
benefitted the health of our lake…

Let’s keep it going!

As avid lake supporters, we all hope to prevent the further spread of invasive species in our lake (zebra mussels, more Eurasian water-milfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, spiny water fleas, viral hemorrhagic septicemia…). Last year we had 38 volunteers (goal is 50) put in over 200 hours. Let’s beat both those numbers.

Any questions? Contact Sarah Kirchhoff or Ginnie Detloff.

KEEP CBCW ALIVE in 2025:

We now have our very own page for communications! It’s the CBCW Blog. Check it out for all the latest information!

A Beautiful Night…

Too much outdoor LIGHTING disrupts our nighttime ecosystem and habitats for pollinators, fireflies, frogs, turtles, navigating birds and other nocturnal creatures.

Please consider turning off your lights at night or, if lighting for safety reasons, tilt lights to face downward and use yellow lights vs. white.

Click here for more info about Outdoor Lighting and our environment.