Pelican starts the process to say no to enhanced wake boats

Earning applause from over two dozen residents on hand to voice their views, the Pelican town board has decided to take the first step toward enacting an ordinance to prevent enhanced wake boating on the town’s five lakes.

The unanimous choice was made at Monday’s regular meeting, held at Pelican Town Hall.

“This issue had actually come before the town board on three separate occasions — once in 2022, once in 2024 and once in 2025 — with three different chairmen,” noted current chairman Nick Scholtes soon after the meeting’s start.

“Now, after hearing all the input from the citizens (at the November 2025 meeting), I figured it was time to put this to rest, one way or another,” he continued. “We’ll give an opportunity for people in the audience, if they have something else they want to say along the way, but I think it’s best that we take care of this tonight … I don’t feel it’s good for anybody to have something keep coming back, coming back, coming back.”

Several attendees took the opportunity to speak. All raised points against wake boats, from disruption of the lake bottom, to significantly increased erosion, to damage to docks and other boats, to the potential for invasive species.

Some urged the board to get an ordinance in place before a wake boat is actually brought to any of Pelican’s five lakes: 58-acre Hixon Lake, 59-acre Buck Lake, 71-acre Fish Lake, 401-acre Lake Thompson, and 443-acre Lake George.

The ticklish question of who would enforce such an ordinance had made for a quandary at the November meeting. This time, Scholtes proposed forestalling the need for enforcement with eduction.

“I think educating before they use the lakes … getting that education out there first and foremost is the first way to head it off,” he asserted, adding that it could be done through area resorts or lake associations. 

“I can speak for Lake George and … I think I can safely speak for Lake Thompson as well, that there will not be a fear of educating people to the fact that this ordinance exists,” said resort owner Dan Brekke. He had previously met with Scholtes and supplied information to show the town board the process of enacting such an ordinance from beginning to end. 

“We don’t want to turn around and hope for the best or wait to see what happens here. We want to protect our lakes as best we can,” Brekke continued. “And with that, I think we’d ask the town board here to vote to begin that process tonight by forwarding this ordinance on to the DNR to help protect our lakes the best we can. And if you agree with me, please raise your hand.” 

All in the audience did and the board voted in agreement soon after.

After this first step in the process, in which Pelican will submit a draft ordinance and condition report to local government recreation administrator-conservation warden Robert Kneeland, the DNR will provide a response within 20 days.

After that, the town will review the DNR’s comments and make changes if it chooses. (A change isn’t required unless it’s expressly stated by the DNR. Any other changes made would require resubmission to the DNR for review.)

The town then votes on enacting the ordinance. It has to allow 60 days to pass from the date the DNR received materials for review to enact the ordinance.

Finally, the town submits the signed ordinance to the DNR, and posts signage at public boat landings.

Among other highlights of the meeting, the board approved subdivision of PE-102, 3234 South Faust Lake Road, owned by Jeffrey Dickinson.

The next meeting of the Pelican town board will be Monday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. at Pelican Town Hall.

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].