Rain, 'No Wake' Zone Spell Trouble For Riverfront Business
(CBS) – It's late June, and we're already 2 inches past normal rain totals for the entire month.
And that's causing problems and costing money for some, CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports.
If it looks empty, it is -- from Fox Lake to the Broken Oar, 20 miles north. Typically full slips are not.
That's because high water has caused a "no wake" ordinance to take effect for 25 miles of the Fox River.
Bonnie Miske of the Broken Oar says boaters don't bother to take their crafts out in a no-wake because of the slow travel time.
"We have had a dramatic decrease in business from our boat traffic," she says. "Boat traffic is critical to us."
Authorities say they had no choice, based on the rainfall of late.
In a normal June, there would be nearly 2.7 inches of rainfall by now. So far, we're at 4.72 inches. It's the best yearly rate by a longshot – 19.56 inches compared to the typical 15.8 inches.
"We do everything in our power not to have to call a no-wake," says Ron Barker of the Fox Waterway Agency.
The no-wake zone could last as long as another week.