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CHAPTER 1: Surface Use of Metropolitan Lakes <br />• ensuring a diversity of uses; and <br />• preserving natural environment lakes. <br />We recx)gnize that these goals are occasionally incompatible on some lakes. For example, allowing <br />diverse uses would be inappropriate on a lake designated as a natural area. In such cases, good <br />management might mean setting priorities among the goals, it should be noted, however, that all four <br />goals can be met if lakes are considered on a regional scale. Regional lake management is discu^ed in <br />the recommendations section of Chapter 5. <br />□ Counties and municipalities should regulate surface use to reduce <br />conflicts among lake users. <br />Surface use ordinances should be developed with the above goals as guiding principles. While we do <br />not recommend regulation for regulation's sake on ail lakes, it is important that local governments take a <br />view that is comprehensive in both its geographic scope and in looking toward the future. <br />□ As often as possible, lakes should accommodate all compatible uses. <br />Allowing all uses is especially important on lakes, such as Lake Minnetonka and White Bear Lake, that <br />draw users from the entire region. Time and area zoning can allow all groups to use a lake while <br />separating conflicting uses. <br />□ A few uses should be excluded from certain types of lakes. <br />Water-skiing and powerboating use large areas of lake surface and conflict with most other uses. These <br />two activities should be excluded from some lakes for safety, aesthetic, and preservation purposes. For <br />exam(^e, powerboats should not be allowed on almost all natural environment lakes because they <br />disturb wildlife.In densely-populated areas, their exclusion would allow the lakes to be used more <br />by everyone else. <br />□ The state should require operators of larger motorboats to be trained In <br />boating safety. <br />At the present time, only teenage boaters are required to have any fornial education in boating safety. <br />Operator licenses, while politically unpopular, would be one means of improving boater education and <br />reducing boater accidents. A minimum age should also be established for operation of jet-skis. <br />□ Funding should be increased for enforcement of watercraft regulations. <br />□ The Metropolitan Council or DNR should conduct more complete <br />studies of surface use on metropolitan lakes. <br />During the course of this study, we were often frustrated by the lack of good data on surface use. More <br />information on surface use is essential for successful planning and management in the future. In <br />particular, the phenomenon of user displacement deserves study. Future studies should be designed so <br />they do not merely survey those who are actually on the lakes at a particular time. <br />To our knowledge, the Department of Natural Resources does not classify boats in any useful way <br />based on our their "power," only on their length. It would be useful for the department to develop such <br />a definition for use in regulating surface use. The department has pointed out that large boats are <br />permitted to use some natural environment lakes with small eiccuic motors.