Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 1, 1990 TAG: 9006020421
SECTION: SMITH MOUNTAIN TIMES PAGE: SM-1 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: MONICA DAVEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MONETA LENGTH: Medium
They aren't sure exactly how to manipulate a course around the three "no-wake" buoys that float in that cove's waters.
Some boaters aren't sure which direction to go, while others don't know what speed to travel to avoid making a wake. "It's creating some hazardous conditions," said Teass.
In her two decades there, Teass has seen the lake, and an abundance of no-wake buoys, crop up. The rash of buoys - installed to cut back on safety hazards on the lake - are causing new problems, she said.
Faced with similar concerns, the Smith Mountain Lake Policy Advisory Board has passed along to the three county governing bodies recommendations for tightening the criteria by which new no-wake buoys are approved along the lake. In the coming weeks, the boards of supervisors in Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties will consider the recommendations.
The white buoys, striped with red rings and the words "no wake," float all over the lake's coves. No one seems to be sure exactly how many are out there. But, says Franklin County supervisor Charles Ellis, "There's a tremendous amount of them."
Since the lake's policy advisory board came into existence four years ago, it has already approved 23 of 25 requests from home and business owners for no-wake designations in their areas. Before that, the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries had approved buoys in some coves.
The buoys were designed to slow down traffic in heavily travelled areas. From the perspective of a swimmer or a boat-filled marina owner, the buoys served an important safety purpose.
But complaints are arising that there are just too many of them out there.
"I've heard comments that they're restricting the traffic on the lake - that it's not that big a lake," said Bedford County Board of Supervisors chairman A. A. "Gus" Saarnijoki.
For some boaters and fishermen, the buoys clog up their travels. Some water skiiers are being forced to go out to the lake's main channel - putting heavier traffic there.
"It's on the verge of getting out of hand," Ellis said. "I'm not saying let's do away with them. We need them. Let's just don't use them for personal preference."
Currently, a group of residents in a cove can request a no-wake buoy of the policy advisory board with the approval of 75 percent of the cove's landowners.
Though safety is the intent of the buoys, fears of land erosion are often the residents' real motive for seeking a no-wake zone, Ellis said. By creating a no-wake area, residents preserve their land from some of the damage a wake can create, he said.
"Let's do it only for public safety," said Ellis. "These people are creating their own private lakes with the no-wake buoys."
Policy Advisory Board Executive Director Liz Parcell has heard those complaints and more. "We're trying to toughen up the policy a lot," she said.
Parcell's board has suggested two alternatives to the counties' governing boards. Under one proposal, the buoys would be limited to high traffic areas: marinas, public boat ramps and public beaches, she said.
Under a second - less rigid, but still strict - plan, the intent of buoys would be stressed. Safety, not erosion control, would guide the policy. Every resident, not just 75 percent, in an affected area would have to approve the idea and the residents would be required to advertise their proposal in a local newspaper.
The three Boards of Supervisors that govern counties surrounding the lake will consider the issue at their next regular meetings: Franklin and Pittsylvania counties on June 4 and Bedford County on June 11.
If the boards don't agree on one proposal, that's all right, said Parcell. The policy advisory board would implement the plan on a case-by-case basis. A Franklin County no-wake request would be considered under that county's approved criteria, while one in Bedford would be looked at under whichever alternative its board picks.
by CNB