Legislators seek end to Lake Macbride horsepower limits

This is from the CR Gazette. Just got the email. Hope it goes through. Here is also a link: Well the link is at the bottom.

Opponents of a special state law regulating the use of motor boats on Lake Macbride say they understand why local legislators support the rule.

“They’re just doing their constituents’ bidding,” said Brian Gallagher, 40, of Cedar Rapids. “What we don’t understand is why the other state representatives and senators have allowed the unfair rule to persist.”

Gallagher and other opponents of the rule prohibiting boats with motors larger than 10 horsepower during the summer months hope a bill introduced by Sen. Swati Dandekar, D-Marion, will end what they consider an injustice.

Dandekar’s bill, Senate File 54, would amend state law to allow operation of boats with motors exceeding 10 horsepower at any time on Lake Macbride.

Noting that Macbride is the only state lake with the horsepower restriction, which runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, Dandekar said, “It should have the same rules as other public lakes.”

While the Department of Natural Resources sets the rules for all other state lakes, the Legislature has carved out an exception for Lake Macbride, a 940-acre constructed lake four miles west of Solon.

“Let the DNR do what’s right. That makes sense, and it’s fair,” Dandekar said.

DNR fisheries biologist Paul Sleeper, who manages Macbride, said the DNR would prefer consistent rules on all state lakes of 100 or more acres — no wake allowed and no motor size restrictions.

Sleeper, who has been at Macbride since 1988, said bills like Dandekar’s have been introduced in nearly every session of the Legislature but get bottled up in committee.

“I suspect that’s because people with nice homes on Lake Macbride want to keep boats off the lake,” said Robert Schlegel, 73, of Marion, one of several Eastern Iowans who encouraged Dandekar to introduce the bill.

A belief that boats with larger motors are more likely to violate the no-wake rule is central to the arguments in favor of the status quo.

“You do associate bigger motors with bigger wakes,” said Rep. Nate Willems, whose House District 29 includes Solon and much of the lake.

“That’s like saying Cadillac drivers are more likely to speed in a school zone than Toyota drivers. It’s the driver, not the vehicle,” Schlegel said.

Steven Becicka, 41, of Oxford, who has written dozens of legislators encouraging their support of Dandekar’s bill, said the rule is a convenient way “to keep others off Macbride” so lake residents can continue to enjoy their “taxpayer-funded recreational oasis.”

Rep. Mary Mascher, whose House District 77 includes much of Iowa City, said the rule does not prohibit anyone from using the lake.

“If you really want to fish it, use a smaller motor,” she said.

Mascher said the special rule is justified because Macbride is a special lake.

“The people who live there created the lake, and the state took it over later,” said Mascher, implying that their long-term relationship conveys a proprietary interest in a state-owned lake that has been rehabilitated during the past decade with more than $2 million in public funds.

“The uses of Iowa’s lakes should not all be the same,” she said.

Mascher said Macbride is heavily used during the summer by sailboats, canoes and kayaks — recreational activities that she believes would be impeded by fishing boats powered with motors larger than 10 horsepower.

Mascher, Willems and Sen. Joe Bolkcom, who represents District 39, which includes most of Iowa City, all recommend that boaters excluded from Macbride run their boats on nearby Coralville Lake.

Even if “separate but equal” arguments had not already been discredited in most other public policy contexts, Coralville and Macbride are hardly equal, proponents of the rule change say.

While Macbride is clean, safe and an excellent fishery, Coralville, an impoundment of the often-flooding Iowa River, is the opposite, Gallagher said.

“We feel like we’re being gypped — not getting to fish public water that our money has helped to improve,” said Thad Takes, president of the Cedar Rapids Bassmasters.

Takes said there is no valid reason for the rule, which he called unfair and bound up in politics.

“It’s really about limiting the number of people who get to use the lake,” he said.


Legislators seek end to Lake Macbride horsepower limits, but some like it quiet
steve jackson said: On February 8, 2011
What about those who enjoy kayaking or canoeing? Or those who enjoy parasailing? If the state approves this measure Macbride will be just another drunken slough like Coralville. Some fail to realize that IOWA has the most polluted water in the entire country!!! Also in a state that has the highest rates of heart disease, a little manpowered recreation can go a long ways.

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Doug Kach said: On February 8, 2011
you are so far off base, your not even thinking right, ask the people that use Plesant Creek if it makes a difference…This has nothing to do with pollution and when you are idling at 3 miles per hour (that is no wake) you dont end up with a drunken slough, This lake is funded and has been rebuilt by all the taxpapers of Iowa.

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Boy Blue said: On February 8, 2011
Speaking of “no wake”, you should see the wake thrown off by a pontoon boat being pushed by a 10 HP outboard. That lake is not a “no wake” lake, its an arbitrary HP limit that allows users to run their underpowered boat at wide open throttle, regardless of the wake created. And no, you can’t just buy a smaller motor. Buying a smaller motor is expensive, may require modifactions to the boat, and is not a solution for most people. Think about it, I need a special motor for Lake McBride only? Foolishness. If the state is spending tax money to support McBride, then the state gets to determine the rules. The homeowners gave up that right when they gave control to the state.

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Doug Kach said: On February 8, 2011
beleive it or not, Macbride is a no wake lake, but you are so right…..email our reps/senators, been trying for decades to get this changed

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jim treu said: On February 8, 2011
I have been witness to drunken stupidity on Macbride and having one run into my boat but horsepower has nothing to do with how those people handle their boat. Pollution in Iowa waterways is far more related to our farming practices than boating. Why is Macbride any more special than any other Iowa lake?

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Doug Kach said: On February 8, 2011
it is not special, it is just one of the tax payers lakes like all the rest of them, contact your rep’s/senators

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Doug Kach said: On February 8, 2011
Some like it quiet ????…………!!!! ever heard a 10 horse motor running wide open trying to push a 26/30 foot poonton ??? give me a break, also check the motor size on the residents boats/pontoons…..the horsepower de

Lake Macbride

Well it looks like they have a good thing going, I know this happens every year, but it's the first time I've actually heard about it, so hopefully they can get something done with the help of everyone because it IS so RIDICULOUS!

RIDICULOUS is the right word!
Chances are still slim to none anything will change. To much money up there!

I tend to disagree John. I think in time something WILL get done. Maybe not this year or the next, but it will change. All it takes is the right couple legislators to push it through. This argument has been going on since the beginning of time up there, but every time it comes up, there gets to be more heat behind it.

That change is wwwwaaaayyyy overdue.

I tend to think things will get changed in time too. I would like to see it sooner rather than later but it isn't a huge deal to me since I rarely fish there. For someone like Dave though I'd be praying nightly they get it changed.


I also tend to think the locals have an agenda that does not totally involve smaller wakes. We all know how many of those boats up there have doctored motors or different motor covers on bigger engines. I tend to think they like being able to move around faster in there pontoon boats with there jacked up engines and if they make the lake no wake then they just as well have 9.9 on them cause that will go fast enough to make a wake.

They might be hiding behind the save our boats, docks, and lake but deep down there could be a lot of them saying don't make us go no wake, that would suck. Just a guess though. There is always a hidden agenda in most peoples actions.

Years ago, when our club was in the fight to change the rule, we got it as far as the committee and there's where it stayed the now Mayor of CR killed it at the last minute. And yes John I do beleive there was money involved.In fact it is my understanding that the person who put up the biggest chunck was the same guy who drove his car off the end of the ramp area inside the housing area and drown. Took 4-5 months to find that car and I have heard stories of people who caught a lot of fish off that cover.I know I had been over it many times during that period. At that time Minnette Doderer(sp) looked into the law/rule quite extensively. She found that the "no wake' rule was meant to be year round. Only from Sept.8 through May 20th the motor restriction was lifted. So all those people that live around the lake NEVER abide by the law at any time of year. Some don't even have up-to date registrations, yet they get away with it. Something else many people do not know is that you and I as the taxpayer pay for the repair of the sewer system that runs under the lake and is for the people that live in the Cottage reserve area. Ex: When they drained the lake a few years back it was not only for restructuring and rip rap for the lake. They also repaired the leaky sewer system on our dime.
Big Creek near Des Moines use to have the same rules as Macbride. The legislature agreed to a 1 year study of no motor restrictions at no wake. They found NO adverse effects with the study and left the no restriction rule in place. Part of that deal was they were to change Macbride at the same time, but noooooo, that didn't happen. The DNR would like to see the change and silently back the cause, but since they are a State agency they can't publicly do so.
We, the people of the State own and maintain this lake. Why shouldn't everyone be able to use it? I see kayakers, canoests,sailboats and pontoons on Pleasant Creek near Palo with no problems and it is barely half the size of Macbride. I do hope this goes through with at least the first passage this year.

I was in the middle of this 4 years ago. I was directed to the Sail Boat storage area, at the south ramp on the north arm. Posted on thier bulletin board was a sign.

"Save our Lake - send $ to (local legislators) to keep all bills to change the motor rule stuck in committee"

And that's what has happened every time. I will be surprised if this changes in my lifetime. Have you noticed guys buying their neighbohrs house, tearing it down to build a bigger house? $$$$ talks.

A few years back, when they lowered the lake, the homeowners won a lawsuit that says they still own the land, under the water, out to the shore line from the 1950's. That is how they were able to build permenant boat houses with concrete foundations and that's why they can mark off thier own private swimming beaches, they "own" the land.

CRAP now I'm all fired up again . . .

manho wrote:

I was in the middle of this 4 years ago. I was directed to the Sail Boat storage area, at the south ramp on the north arm. Posted on thier bulletin board was a sign.

"Save our Lake - send $ to (local legislators) to keep all bills to change the motor rule stuck in committee"

And that's what has happened every time. I will be surprised if this changes in my lifetime. Have you noticed guys buying their neighbohrs house, tearing it down to build a bigger house? $$$$ talks.

A few years back, when they lowered the lake, the homeowners won a lawsuit that says they still own the land, under the water, out to the shore line from the 1950's. That is how they were able to build permenant boat houses with concrete foundations and that's why they can mark off thier own private swimming beaches, they "own" the land.

CRAP now I'm all fired up again . . .

A freind of mine did the surveying for that. What they found out was ,yes some did have property that extended out into the lake. But THEY DID NOT OWN THE WATER OVER THE LAND!!! Still public water!

Progress is being made.

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/02/17/panel-oks-big-boat-engines-on-no-wake-lake-macbride-near-iowa-city/

so far so good

Sounds good. That woman Rep. sounds like a big whiner in that report, which is good for the cause.

Cowboy wrote:

Sounds good. That woman Rep. sounds like a big whiner in that report, which is good for the cause.

Prestine! :shock: She doesn't have a clue!

i'll admit I dont know much about this situation but it seems like a stupid law to me. so no one can have a motor bigger than 9.9 on their boat during the summer months?

You can have a bigger motor on, but you can't run it unless you are loading or unloading. And I ain't so sure that isn't against the law too, but they don't/haven't said anything to me or anyone else I know about it.

Paul Sleeper the DNR guy at McBride there told me Loading and unloading was ok.


I hope this passes . . .

Here is a link to the Sailboating club, asking you to send a letter that the do NOT support the change.

I say send them a letter (as I did) that you do support it.

http://sites.google.com/site/universityofiowasailingclub/announcements/outboardmotorhorsepowerrestrictionarticlesandinformation