Wright County Government: DNR Warning Boaters About Low Water Issues At Boat Launches

Press release from the Wright County Government:

July 15, 2021

A Message from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

The abnormally dry to drought conditions occurring across Minnesota are creating challenging conditions for people trying to get their boats into or out of the water at public boat launches, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

When water levels drop during extended dry periods, the concrete ramps at boat launches may no longer reach all the way into the water and hazards such as prop-wash holes can become more problematic.

Prop-wash holes are caused by “power-loading” the boat onto the trailer instead of using the preferred method of cranking it on the trailer by winch. When water levels are low, people are more likely to back their trailer past the ramp’s end and into a prop-wash hole if one is present.

“It can be pretty difficult to get a trailer unstuck from a hole like that,” said Nancy Stewart, DNR water recreation consultant. “And just beyond the prop-wash hole, there’s often a mound of material that boats may get stuck on after launching, preventing them from getting to deeper water.” 

Extending ramps can help in some places, but not when shallow water persists beyond the boat ramp. Stewart offers the following tips for launching boats in low water conditions:

Visit the DNR website (Public water access | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)) for boat launching maps and information on power loading.

This press release was produced by the Wright County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.