Letter: Comment by Aug. 19 on state rule change to prevent wakesports on the Waterbury Reservoir & other lakes
August 17, 2025 | By the Friends of the Waterbury ReservoirTo the Community:
The Waterbury Reservoir is a popular lake for many forms of recreation from swimming and paddling to wakesports. File photo by Gordon Miller
In the spring of 2024, the Agency of Natural Resources approved changes to Vermont’s Use of Public Waters Rules that defined wakesports zones for Vermont’s inland lakes. Under the new rules, 30 Vermont lakes – including the Waterbury Reservoir – became eligible for wakesports.
Since then, numerous individuals and organizations, including Friends of Waterbury Reservoir, have raised concerns to the state, saying that the new rules go too far in allowing for wakesports on lakes whose size or shape don’t easily accommodate wakesports. Multiple petitions have been filed asking the state to remove lakes from the list of where wakesports are permitted.
Now the state is considering revising the year-old rules, and there’s a Tuesday deadline to send in public comments.
Important and time sensitive: The Agency of Natural Resources is currently in the pre-rulemaking phase of a process to again update Vermont's Use of Public Waters Rules. They are accepting public comments by email on the proposed changes through 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
Among other changes, the current proposed revisions to the definition of a wakesports zone are meant to address concerns raised by the recent lake-specific petitions that were submitted over the winter. These proposed changes include:
• Requiring that wakesports zones are at least 3,000 feet in length
• Requiring that a wakesports zone covers at least 100 contiguous acres of a lake that is at least 500 feet from shore and 20 feet deep (as opposed to 50 contiguous acres in the current rule)
• Adding an allowance for “shape normalization” of the wakesports zone to remove odd-shaped sections.
The current wakesports zone near the dam on the Waterbury Reservoir is shown on this state map. Click to enlarge.
Currently, 30 inland lakes meet the state rules to allow wakesports. Under the proposed changes, 12 of those lakes – including the Waterbury Reservoir – would no longer meet the requirements. The other lakes that would be off-limits to wakesports would include Lake Fairlee, Shadow Lake, Lake Parker, Joe’s Pond, Lake Iroquois, Lake Hortonia, Peacham Pond, Miles Pond, Holland Pond and Sunset Lake.
Under the proposed revisions, 18 inland lakes, as well as Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog, would continue to support wakesport activity zones.
Once the state completes this step of its process, the Agency of Natural Resources will hold public hearings in the fall after the latest revisions are finalized, taking into account comments from this pre-rulemaking process.
The Friends of Waterbury Reservoir wants the community to be aware of this process and we encourage local residents to consider commenting in support of the proposed revisions.
What to do: Send an email to ANR in support of the changes, specifically changing the allowable wakesport zones from 50 acres to 100 acres and creating an allowance for shape normalization of the zone to remove odd-shaped sections.
This will address many safety issues that arise on smaller lakes and will protect normal uses, such as fishing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, waterskiing, etc. (wakesporting is not considered a normal use). If possible, include a supporting story and/or evidence to strengthen your statement. Keep your comments to 150-300 words.
Deadline: ANR must receive comments by Tuesday, Aug. 19, no later than 4:30 p.m. Email your statement with the word “wakesports” in the subject line to: ANR.WSMDLakes@vermont.gov.
Here are links with additional information:
The Summary of Proposed Changes being considered.
The state webpage on Wakeboating and Wakesports in Vermont
Please respond promptly. We are close to protecting our beautiful lake, but time is not on our side.
Thank you,
from the Board of Directors of the Friends of Waterbury Reservoir
Submitted by Treasurer Francine Chittenden