From a press release by the Dane County Executive Board:

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney and Dane County Board Chair Scott McDonell issued the declaration [Aug 22nd] for the surface areas of lakes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa.

WKOW TV reports yesterday that the Dane County sheriff is surveying the situation to determine whether to implement a total no wake on the lakes.

Currently, the no wake zone extends 500 feet from shore. “Slow No Wake” means a boat must move as slowly as possible while still maintaining steering control and produce no wake. Officials will be out enforcing the rule, and violators will be ticketed.

Recent flooding in the area has affected boats and shoreline equipment in other ways, too. Our crews have been out for the past week on “rescue missions”. Boats & other equipment are suffering from the excessive rain and the flooding it’s producing. Some people have been reporting that waters have gotten high enough in their areas that boats are floating off boat lifts, and pier sections are floating away. Even if we get no more rain, this is a situation which won’t go away soon. Under the best conditions, it takes several weeks for the lakes to drain off this much water. If we end up getting more rain, the situation will only get worse.

If you have a pier or boat boat lift, we recommend you call to have them removed now. If you plan on boating after the Labor Day weekend, it’s best to launch from a trailer. While this may be an inconvenience, it’s the best way to protect your equipment from damage during these unusually severe conditions.