A Chain speed limit? It works at Lake Geneva

Speed limits on the Chain O' Lakes? If you think it can't happen, look 30 miles to the northeast.

There, you'll find Lake Geneva and speed limits of 35 mph on weekends and 45 mph on weekdays.

It's a law Wisconsin officials are convinced reduces accidents and noise, and helps foster one of the area's most attractive boating lakes.

George Hennerley, executive vice-president of the Geneva Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said the speed limit has not adversely affected business, tourism or boating. It has caused larger speed boats to go elsewhere.

More Coverage Stories A Chain speed limit? It works at Lake Geneva [12/9/07] Pro: Lowering speed limit would boost quality of life on Chain [12/7/07] Con: Restrictions already in place are enough to curtail speed [12/7/07]

"Those racing boats that have three engines and are shooting out 500 horsepower each, they left Lake Geneva and things got quieter," Hennerley said. "They may have had fun racing from one end of the lake to the other, but I think they would have more fun doing that on Lake Michigan."

Looking to make the area a bit quieter is one reason Fox Waterway Agency officials say they're kicking around the speed limit idea for the Chain and Fox River, said Ingrid Ruttendjie, FWA executive director.

It's only one option being discussed, Ruttendjie said. Others include further restricted boating zones, limiting speeds on a trial basis, adding more no wake areas, installing quiet signs in residential zones and limiting or banning exhaust systems that run above the water.

The agency hosts a brainstorming meeting on the issue Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the McHenry Municipal Center, 333 S. Green St.

Current noise ordinances on the Chain state a boat cannot be louder than 90 decibels while standing still on the water, and 75 decibels when moving 20-feet from shore. According to freehearingtest.com, 90 decibels equals the sound of a running lawn mower; 75 decibels is about the sound of a running kitchen appliance.

Ruttendjie said less than five noise ordinance tickets were issued by the McHenry and Lake county marine unit patrols in 2007.

Creation of a speed limit has been suggested several times in meetings by angry residents and boaters. They say they are concerned about the noise and reckless boat driving and claim speed limits would help address those problems.

Speed law opponents say such problems are caused by only a few boaters. Instead, current laws designed to quiet boats and stop recklessness should be enforced, they argue.

No one knows exactly when speed limits were put in place on Lake Geneva. When citing the law, officials use legislation updated in 2006.

Today, speed limits are in effect from May 15 through Sept. 30 -- the primary boating season. Also, boats are not allowed to travel faster than 15 mph at night.

Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Chief Tom Hausner, head of boat patrols on Lake Geneva, said speed limits are an "absolute necessary" for any body of water with a high boat population.

"I believe there is a huge safety risk if there isn't a speed limit on our lake, considering the density of the boats we have," Hausner said. "Boats are not like cars where if you push a pedal, you stop. There are no brakes to avoid hitting someone."

He said 20,000 boats are registered to operate Lake Geneva, which is nine miles wide and has 5,200 acres of water. As many as 2,000 to 3,000 boats are in motion at once on busy weekends, he said. Fifteen accidents were reported in 2007.

Of the 269 citations issued on Lake Geneva in 2007, 30 percent were speed related, Hausner said.

The Fox Waterway Agency sold more than 28,000 boat stickers in 2007. Those boats are spread across 45 miles and 7,100 acres of water on the Chain and Fox River. There were 20 accidents on the Chain last year.

The biggest problem on Lake Geneva, Hausner said, are the choppy waves caused by heavy traffic and speeding boats. A similar problem exists on the Chain.

"If the boat population there is as big as it is here, then speed limits are something that should be explored," he said. "The number of boats make it choppy and dangerous, and it's easy to slip out of control when it's traveling at more than 55 miles an hour."