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I am extremely angry over the lack of attention and concern by the Bonner County Board of Supervisors.
We have a major problem on the Pend Oreille River with wakeboard boats. The Pend Oreille River in most areas is quite narrow. These boats create waves that are often over 3-4 feet in height by the time they reach the shore. The other day several went by my home on the river and the wake was so large that they crashed over my sea wall numerous times. The wake hit my dog, an 80-pound boxer and sent him sprawling. They also came into my boat lift where my boat was several feet out of the water, lifted my 6,000-pound boat up in the air, letting it crash down, seriously damaging the boat lift.
The wakes come over my sea wall and have torn out a 6-foot width stretch of my lawn. I was out on the river in a 16-foot Century woody boat with company when one of these boats came by almost capsizing my boat. Kayakers, canoeists, etc. don’t have a chance. These boats fill up huge tanks in the back of their boat so it sets deeply in the water thus creating huge waves. This wakeboard activity should not be allowed on the river where there is not the width to alleviate the waves.
I have consulted with the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and they say they can do nothing. This has got to stop. People have complained to the commissioners and they have refused to address the problem. Someone is going to get seriously injured or killed, and the commissioners will be liable.
GEORGE TAYLORSON
Priest River