Letter to the Editor: Water-ski ordinance should remain untouched

I would like to bring the upcoming hearing concerning water-skiing on Chickahominy Lake to the attention of New Kent residents.

Two county residents have been repeatedly lobbying for the county’s board of supervisors to repeal the ban on water-skiing in the lake. This is a bad idea and the regulation should remain for several reasons.

First, there are the recreational opportunities. Chickahominy Lake is currently an area where it is still safe to kayak, canoe, and operate smaller water craft because of this regulation. People come from all-around the state to avail themselves of the access and relative safety that the lack of ski traffic provides on the lake.

Secondly, there is the issue of shoreline erosion. Along with water-skiing comes wakeboarding, which requires a specialized boat. The wakes from this sport contribute substantially to shoreline erosion. When wakeboarding became common on the Chickahominy River, many of us fortunate enough to live along its shores found it necessary to rip rap the shorelines to stop the accelerating erosion. Unlike regular boat usage, people enjoy skiing often circle the same area for a prolonged period generating successive wakes that cut into the shoreline.

Finally, as pointed out by the proponents of skiing on the lake, there is no other water in the area free from the sport. In fact, there are 17 miles of skiable water from Walker’s Dam to the Route 5 Bridge [in Charles City.] There are restaurants, marinas, and boat ramps that service recreational traffic along the river’s length. It would seem that the 17 miles provide more than adequate opportunity for those who wish to engage in skiing and wakeboarding.

I would urge the New Kent Board of Supervisors and the residents of the county to continue the current regulations and keep Chickahominy Lake the special place that it is.

Don French
Lanexa