After two years of research, the Lake Benedict/Tombeau Lake Management District has come up with a level for declaring no wake conditions on Lake Benedict — 828.8 feet above sea level.
The level was unanimously approved Thursday by the Randall Town Board for inclusion in a revised set of lake-related town ordinances. Supervisor Ken Mangold was absent.
Tom Dattalo, president of the district, explained measurement to determine the level will be taken at two points — by the lake’s boat launch and at the bridge between Benedict and Tombeau lakes.
While the lake district will monitor the levels, it will have to communicate with the town to actually enact slow-no wake conditions. The authority for issuing such orders lies with the town, said Chairman Bob Stoll.
“That’s the authority,” Stoll said.
Buoys will be deployed on the lake when the no wake order is in effect.
Working through the town to enact and lift wake bans will not be a problem, Dattalo said.
Linking no wake on Lake Benedict to neighboring Powers Lake has not been working, Datallo explained. Levels could be OK on Powers Lake, but still high on Benedict. This is in part due to different characteristics of the two bodies of water — including more soft shoreline on Benedict.
“Our water is higher,” Dattalo said. “(The new standard) will just help preserve the soft shoreline that’s there.”
