MPR News with Angela Davis

Beyond the surface: Scientists study how wake boats affect lake health

A woman surfs
Zoe Zylstra, who has been wakeboarding since she was six years old, surfs behind a boat specially designed for wake sports on Saint Albans Bay near Excelsior, Minn., on Tuesday, July 22.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

Big waves are part of the fun of summer, but they can also stir up big debates.  

Wake boats are designed to create large waves for surfers to ride. But those waves don’t just disappear. A new University of Minnesota study shows they can stir up sediment, muddy the water and release phosphorus, which causes algae blooms.

MPR News guest host Kirsti Marohn dives into the science and what it means for lake lovers.

three people posing for a portrait
MPR News guest host Kirsti Marohn (center); Jeff Forester (left), executive director of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates; and Jeff Marr (right), associate director of engineering and facilities at the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, pose for a portrait in the Kling Public Media Center in St. Paul on Tuesday, September 16.
Nikhil Kumaran | MPR News

Guests:

  • Jeff Forester is the executive director of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates, a nonprofit that represents lake associations and property owners. 

  • Jeff Marr is the associate director of engineering and facilities at the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. He was a lead researcher on a recent study that looked at what happens under the lake surface when different types of recreational boats travel at different speeds.

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