Shrewsbury Residents To Weigh In On Wake Boats On Lake Quinsigamond

SHREWSBURY, MA — A public hearing next week will give residents, boaters and other lake users a chance to weigh in on wake boats on Lake Quinsigamond.

The Lake Quinsigamond Commission will hold the hearing at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, in the training room at the Shrewsbury Police Department, 106 Maple Ave., to hear views on the fair use of wake boats for recreational and competitive activities, according to a public notice. The hearing is intended to allow people on all sides of the issue to discuss the pros and cons of wake-boat operation on the lake.

For the hearing, the commission defines a wake boat as any vessel specifically designed, configured or marketed to produce amplified wakes or surf waves for wake surfing, wakeboarding or similar activities. The definition includes boats with integrated ballast tanks, wake-enhancing hull geometry, surf gates, trim tabs or wake-shaping systems, according to the notice.

The definition also covers vessels equipped with artificial wake enhancement systems intended to increase wake height, wave force or wake displacement beyond normal vessel operation. Boats altered from their factory configuration to increase wake size, including through added ballast, hull appendages or wake-shaping devices, are also included.

The commission has statutory authority to oversee environmental and public safety issues concerning Lake Quinsigamond, according to the Town of Shrewsbury. The lake is used for boating, rowing and other recreation, and Quinsigamond State Park includes the Regatta Point and Lake Park areas along the Worcester side of the lake.

See Also:

• Shrewsbury Opens Applications For Board, Committee Seats
• Shrewsbury Superintendent Retires After 29 Years In District, New Leader To Take Helm