July 2024

When it comes to no-wake zones, the rule is “the wider the better,” University of Idaho professor Frank Wilhelm told a room of concerned citizens last week.Wilhelm and graduate student Garret Homer presented the results of a summerlong study of Payette Lake that focused on how wakes from motor boats affect nutrients that harm water quality.“There is good evidence to show that at 500 to 600 feet, you can mitigate some of the big waves that are coming ashore,” said Wilhelm.The current no-wake zone is set at 300-feet on Payette Lake and all lakes in Valley County, with some exceptions.About 90 people attended the presentation at the Payette National Forest Supervisor’s Office in McCall on Thursday, July 11.Homer completed the bulk of the field and lab work as part of his senior research thesis at the University of Idaho.