Governor Cuomo says the state will ramp up efforts to enforce a no wake zone along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shorelines this 4th of July holiday.
The governor’s office says the state is deploying 20 watercraft and more than 40 additional law enforcement personnel to support enhanced enforcement of the 5 mph rule within 600 feet of shore.
The “no wake” rule is to make sure boat wakes don’t do more damage to the flooded shoreline than Lake Ontario’s wind-driven waves are already doing. Governor Cuomo says additional officers are coming from the Department of Environmental Conservation, Park Police, Division of Military and Naval Affairs and State Police. They’ll also be charging fines of up to $250 per violation. The state declared the speed limit on shoreline waters back in May.
The Army Corps of Engineers says Lake Ontario averaged 248 feet, 8 ¾ inches for June. That’s close to three feet more than the long-term average and down a couple of inches from the record high of 249 feet at the start of June.