2026 -- H 7992

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LC005411

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

URGING THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

TO STUDY AND REGULATE THE IMPACT OF WAKE BOATS ON RHODE ISLAND

PUBLIC WATERWAYS

     Introduced By: Representatives Chippendale, Place, Santucci, Cotter, Handy, Carson,
Tanzi, Noret, Bennett, and Edwards

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2026

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island is home to at least 237 freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs

covering approximately 18,845 acres, many of which serve as drinking water sources, wildlife

habitats, flood control resources, and vital recreational areas for residents and visitors; and

     WHEREAS, Approximately seventy percent of Rhode Island’s lakes are fifty acres or

less in size, and only four exceed five hundred acres, making the vast majority of the State’s

freshwater bodies small and particularly vulnerable to environmental disturbance; and

     WHEREAS, Wake boats are specialized motorized vessels intentionally designed to

generate large, powerful waves through the use of deep V-shaped hulls, hydrofoil devices, and

ballast systems that may add between 2,000 and 6,000 pounds of additional weight; and

     WHEREAS, Scientific research has documented that wake boats can produce waves two

to three times higher, generate three to nine times more wave energy, and in some studies up to

seventeen times the energy of comparable recreational powerboats; and

     WHEREAS, Wake boat propellers and ballast-enhanced displacement have been shown

to resuspend bottom sediments in water up to thirty-three feet deep, disturbing previously

sequestered nutrients and contaminants; and

     WHEREAS, Sediment resuspension releases nitrogen, phosphorus, and other stored

nutrients into the water column, accelerating algae growth, contributing to harmful and toxic

cyanobacteria blooms, reducing dissolved oxygen, impairing fish and aquatic habitats, and

increasing the frequency of no-contact advisories issued to protect public health; and

     WHEREAS, Increased turbidity from sediment disturbance reduces light penetration,

limits photosynthesis, degrades aquatic vegetation, and disrupts the ecological balance necessary

to sustain Rhode Island’s freshwater ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, The powerful wakes generated by wake boats have been documented to

require between 400 and 1,023 feet to dissipate to levels comparable to conventional vessels,

thereby increasing shoreline erosion, degrading fish habitat, damaging infrastructure, and

imposing financial burdens on riparian property owners; and

     WHEREAS, Shoreline hardening undertaken in response to wake-induced erosion often

further degrades natural habitats, reduces biodiversity, increases stormwater runoff, and

exacerbates water quality decline; and

     WHEREAS, Wake boats may retain significant quantities of water in ballast tanks and

bilge compartments even after drainage, increasing the risk of transporting aquatic invasive

species and pathogens between Rhode Island waterbodies; and

     WHEREAS, The increased wave energy generated by wake boats presents heightened

safety risks to swimmers, kayakers, paddleboarders, anglers, and operators of smaller watercraft;

and

     WHEREAS, Several states, including neighboring New England states, have enacted

legislation establishing minimum lake size requirements, minimum water depth standards, and

minimum setback distances from shorelines and structures for wake boat operation in order to

protect environmental quality and public safety; and

     WHEREAS, These regulatory frameworks seek to balance recreational boating with the

protection of fragile freshwater ecosystems, particularly on smaller lakes that are uniquely

susceptible to sediment disturbance, nutrient loading, and shoreline erosion; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is charged

with protecting the State’s natural resources and has the scientific expertise necessary to evaluate

the environmental, ecological, and public safety impacts associated with wake boat operation;

now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island hereby urges the

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to expeditiously conduct a

comprehensive scientific study on the environmental, ecological, shoreline, water quality,

invasive species, and public safety impacts of wake boat operation on Rhode Island’s freshwater

lakes, ponds, and reservoirs; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That such study shall include, but not be limited to, analysis of lake size,

depth, shoreline characteristics, sediment composition, nutrient loading, and proximity to

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sensitive habitats, as well as a review of regulatory models adopted by other New England states;

and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Department of Environmental Management is further urged to

develop and promulgate regulations establishing appropriate limits, prohibitions, minimum depth

requirements, minimum shoreline setback distances, and a clear regulatory framework governing

the locations and manner in which wake boats may operate within the State of Rhode Island; and

be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of

Environmental Management.

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LC005411

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