Glenville no wake zone request denied
Jackson County’s request for a no wake zone on Lake Glenville has been denied following an April 26 vote from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, but the commission’s law enforcement division will increase boating safety patrols this summer to promote public safety.
The request for a no wake zone originated last summer when a group of Glenville residents told county commissioners they were concerned about the speed with which boats traveled through a narrow area popular with swimmers. Commissioners asked the Wildlife Commission to evaluate the request, but the resulting report recommended that the request be denied.
The majority of the county commissioners still wanted to pursue the request, and a Jan. 29 public hearing drew seven speakers, some in favor of the no wake zone and some opposed. Following the public hearing, Republican commissioners Charles Elders, Mickey Luker and Ron Mau voted to petition the Wildlife Commission to approve the designation, with Democratic commissioners Brian McMahan and Boyce Deitz voting no.
A no wake zone designation would have required boats to travel at idling speed so as to create no appreciable wake. According to a press release from the Wildlife Commission, in reviewing no wake zone applications the commission balances the need to reduce water safety hazards with the rights of all recreationists to enjoy public trust waters without undue regulation.
