ST. MARTIN PARISH — Many people on social media were sharing what they were seeing on what was once calm waters this past Memorial Day weekend.
Canal water levels were high, shaking resident’s docks.
Stephen Newman has had his Butte La Rose home along the canal for 40 years.
“In the past, it's customary when there’s high water, it's automatically a no-wake zone because some people camps are low,” Newman said.
“You don’t want the wakes to damage their boats if they're in the water, or waves getting into the camps.”
According to Lousiana Wildlife and Fisheries Boating Law Administrator Clay Marquis, the parish used to be able to enforce no-wake zones, but this changed last August.
Last year former Attorney General Jeff Landry said parishes do not have the authority to establish a wake zone within their jurisdiction and it is up to Wildlife and Fisheries.
Marquis said Wildlife and Fisheries still enforce no-wake zones on waterways within 300 feet of a public boat ramp with a dock adjacent to it.
Newman said he doesn’t have a problem with the revoke of no-wake zones, as long as boaters are mindful of others.
“Other than if you see people in boats slowing down, being courteous on the water, other than that I don’t see a problem with it,” Newman said.
“Some people are gonna complain it’s washing away. If you have a seawall it's not that bad but if you have a boat that's floating at a dock or something, the waves making beat against stuff you should have fender bumpers on it to keep it from being beat up.”
But he does feel there should be certain limitations based on water levels.
“I do think there should be a restriction that once the water level at Atchafalaya Butte La Rose gets to 16 feet or whatever, no-wake. Just to protect personal property.”
Newman said as the weather gets warmer in the Summer, boaters down the canal drive with cautious speed as water levels lower.
