MASON COUNTY, Mich. — As water levels are expected to continue to rise in the months to come, a Michigan lawmaker has proposed a pair of bills that would allow sheriff's departments to set boating speed limits to prevent damage to lakeshore property.
The proposed legislation, House Bill 5401 and House Bill 5402, would give county sheriffs, or the Department of Natural Resources the authority to set 14-day speed limits during high water level conditions. HB 5402 would make speeding a civil infraction and allow for fines up to $500. The speed limit orders could be re-issued after they expire.
Rep. Gary Eisen, R- St. Clair Township, sponsored the bills out of concern for waterfront homeowners in his district.
While testifying before the House Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Committee last week, Clay Township supervisor Artie Bryson told lawmakers the water level projections are a cause for concern.
"I am scared to death of the next year, I mean I am losing sleep over it already," Bryson said.
Rep. Eisen said boating speed limits would be another "tool in the toolbox" to help prevent further damage to lakeshore property.
Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said the bills are worth looking into.
“I think there’s some good stuff in there that gives authority more on a local level instead of requiring it on a statewide level," Cole said. "Those are issues we found last summer."
Last year, Mason County had seven drownings. When Sheriff Cole wanted to close the beach for safety, he had to wait on an order out of Lansing for several days. To him, the idea of having more of an ability to police the waters could help save lives.
"I think it's unfortunate that people often times cannot police themselves. It's unfortunate that we have to have legislation like this that requires law enforcement to get more involved in a person's safety on the water," Cole said. "But, there are a lot of hidden dangers that these high water levels have created.
“Anything we can do proactively to prevent a tragedy from occurring I am willing to take a look at," Cole said.
Cole also said any minimization of turbulence on the shoreline, whether it's created by wind or high-speed boats, could be helpful.
Enforcement of the speed limits would likely be a challenge for most counties, but Sheriff Cole said he was not sure what that would look like yet.
The bills are set to go before the committee again Tuesday for further consideration.
RELATED VIDEO:
More stories on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
► Emma Nicolas is a multimedia journalist. Have a news tip or question for Emma? Get in touch by email, Facebook or Twitter.
Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.