Waters Still Calm Despite Heavier Use

Crowding hasn’t reached the critical point yet on Lake Coeur d’Alene, lake users said Saturday.

The diverse recreationalists may have their differences, but peace prevailed as they splashed around in the weekend sunshine.

Even reports of a young swimmer being struck by a sea plane July 27 didn’t have lake users calling for a ban on the pontooned planes.

Rather, personal watercraft still are the most unpopular members of the social scene.

“The Jet Skis are really a thorn in our side,” said sailor Gary VanDusen, who travels across the West to race sailboats.

Sailboat operators have occasional conflicts with power boats and fishermen, too. The speedboats sometimes fail to slow down, jostling the sailboats, and fishing boats sometimes fail to get out of the way during a sailboat race, they said.

Power boat operators, for their part, are annoyed by Jet Skis and other personal watercraft operators who try to jump their wakes.

Swimmers training for the triathalon along the city and North Idaho College beach have to watch out for paddle boats, and everybody generally has to watch out for each other.

VanDusen told stories of “cigarette” speed boats circling tour boats at night, turning off their lights and regularly breaking the 15 mph speed limits. But for the most part, VanDusen and others agreed, people are well-behaved on the lake. years he’s rented paddle boats.“Our little area has mellowed,” he said from his lawn chair on Independence Point dock.“As for out there,” he chuckled, tossing his head toward the lake, “I don’t want to know what goes on.” circling tour boats at night, turning off their lights and regularly breaking the 15 mph speed limits. But for the most part, VanDusen and others agreed, people are well-behaved on the lake.

“It just takes one or two power boaters to make everyone look bad,” said his wife, Jeanna.

The VanDusens were taking a break at Third Street dock Saturday after a morning of sailboat races. Also resting at the full dock were water-skiers on a cigarette break, and a pair of napping fishermen in a boat rattling with beer bottles.

Finding a place to moor a boat was difficult, but once out on the lake, “there’s plenty of room for everybody,” said Jim Carrick, another boater stretched out in the back of his 28-foot sailboat.

“In general, it’s safe, it’s wellpoliced,” Carrick said. “The majority of people are courteous and kind.”

While everyone familiar with the lake over the years has noticed an increase in users, especially on the north end, the Kootenai County Waterways Committee has never recommended limiting the use.

“The topic’s come up,” said Bob Macdonald, county commissioner and liaison to the committee. “The thought is it may go that way eventually. It’s almost self-limiting now, because of the number of people who can get on the lake.”

Many get on the lake near the Third Street dock. The area near The Coeur d’Alene Resort and City Beach is a thoroughfare of choppy water.

Two personal watercraft businesses have their docks anchored in the vicinity. Brooks Seaplane Service lands and takes off nearby, sharing the Independence Point dock with parasailing and tour boats.

Closer to the beach, Eagle Enterprises rents paddle boats and canoes. Swimmers hug the shore and share the no-boat zone with paddle boats.

“You’ve just got to keep your head up,” said distance swimmer Margaret Hair. “I feel safe enough. I don’t swim by myself for other reasons, too, but it doesn’t bother me yet.”

Jontz Jet Skis anchored its floating dock farther out in the lake to avoid some of the congestion, said Troy Stephens, the company’s booking agent.

“They don’t want their equipment damaged,” Stephens said. Although the planes take off and land close by, Jontz has never had a complaint about them, Stephens said.

“The only users that cause problems are those that don’t follow the rules,” he said.

Ray Andreason, owner of Eagle Enterprises, agreed. Although the lake is getting more crowded, he’s actually seen fewer conflicts between boaters, Jet Ski users and paddle boats in the 11 years he’s rented paddle boats.

“Our little area has mellowed,” he said from his lawn chair on Independence Point dock.

“As for out there,” he chuckled, tossing his head toward the lake, “I don’t want to know what goes on.”