Comment sought on no wake zones

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission is seeking public comment on new no wake zones proposed on three different waterbodies, including Cromwell Channel on Flathead Lake.

The petitions were submitted to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission last fall, and will be discussed during public hearing in February, according to a press release issued Jan. 24. The commission is tentatively scheduled to make a final decision on the proposed rules at their regular April meeting.

One of the petitions calls for an 800 foot-long no wake zone through the narrowest section of Flathead Lake’s Cromwell Channel near Big Arm. The petition was brought to address safety concerns, shoreline erosion, user conflicts and property damage, the release states.

Additional proposals include no wake zones on the Madison River or Ennis Lake, as well as Fort Peck Reservoir. Those requests were made to address similar safety and erosion concerns.

The public hearing on the Flathead Lake no wake zone will be Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at the FWP Region 1 headquarters, 490 N. Meridian Rd., in Kalispell.

For more information about the proposed no wake zones, contact Ron Aasheim, 444-4038.