It is the intent of this division to provide free access to Whitewater and Rice Lakes for all users and further provide safe and healthful conditions for the enjoyment of aquatic recreation consistent with public needs and the capacity of the water resource. To this end, the Towns of Whitewater and Richmond set forth the additional provisions set out in this division.
A. 
This division shall apply to the waters of Rice Lake and Whitewater Lake lying within the corporate limits of the Towns of Whitewater and Richmond. The provisions of this division shall be enforced under the jurisdiction of the towns.
B. 
Officers patrolling the waters may stop and board any boat for the purpose of enforcing §§ 30.50 to 30.80, Wis. Stats., and for conducting search and rescue operations, if the officers have reasonable cause to believe there is a violation of the sections, rules or ordinances or the stopping and boarding of any boat is essential to conduct a search and rescue operation.
A. 
A traffic lane is hereby established embracing the surface of Rice and Whitewater Lakes, Walworth County, Wisconsin, in their entirety, excepting therefrom that portion of the waters thereof lying between the shoreline and a line parallel to 150 feet distant from the shoreline, and excepting therefrom the northwest, northeast and southwest bays. These exceptions are designated "slow-no-wake" areas. All channels shall be deemed "slow-no-wake" areas.
B. 
No pier shall extend further into the lakes from the shoreline than 50 feet; no raft shall be anchored or moored where it extends into a traffic lane; no private buoy shall be located in a traffic lane; and no boat shall be moored where it can drift into a traffic lane. All provisions of this section shall be consistent with § 30.13, Wis. Stats.
A. 
Prohibited at certain times; exceptions.
(1) 
Except as provided in Subsection A(2) of this section, no person shall operate a boat for the purpose of towing a water skier or engage in water skiing except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., or sunset, whichever is earlier, Friday, Saturday, holidays, and the day preceding a holiday. Water skiing and boat wakes are permitted Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, except if one of these days would be a legal holiday or the day preceding a holiday.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
(2) 
Subsection A(1) of this section does not apply to duly authorized water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials therefor, where adequate lighting is provided.
B. 
Careful and prudent operation. A person operating a motorboat having in tow a person on water skis, aquaplane or similar device shall operate such a boat in a careful and prudent manner and at a reasonable distance from persons and property so as not to endanger the life or property of any person.
C. 
Restriction. No boat towing persons engaged in water skiing, aquaplaning or similar activity on any lake shall engage in such activity within 100 feet of any occupied anchored boat or marked swimming area or public boat landing except where pickup and dropoff are established and marked with regulatory markers.
D. 
Tow lines. There shall be no more than two tow lines and only two persons using the tow lines as a means of water skiing or similar sport. The persons being towed must be equipped with a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device. No tow line shall exceed 75 feet in length.
E. 
Observance of rules. Any boat engaged in towing a person or water skis, aquaplane or similar device must conform to all sections of this division and, in addition, must operate in a counterclockwise pattern on both lakes and inlet and outlet in the traffic lane.
F. 
Towed or untowed flight banned. No water skier behind any boat will be permitted to be lifted into the air by any means, including parasailing, hang gliding or other means, whether the tow remains in place or not after the skier is aloft.
G. 
Authority to conduct tournaments. To become duly authorized to conduct water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials, the applicant must do the following:
(1) 
Appear before the Town Boards of Richmond and Whitewater with a practice and show schedule and present a plan with all dates and times, including the length of each event, before the start of the season or not less than 30 days in advance of a single event. Both town boards will be required to approve and authorize any practice and show schedule.
(2) 
Have a parking plan as to handle the parking of vehicles of the event participants and the spectators.
(3) 
Have a commitment from an insurance company for liability insurance that indemnifies and holds harmless the Towns of Richmond and Whitewater in an amount as directed by each Board.
(4) 
Have in place a representative living in Walworth County who can be contacted at any time during the water ski season regarding any problems by either the Town of Whitewater or Richmond, as related to water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials, parking, insurance, zoning, noise or the equipment used in that activity. The applicant shall also present a listing of the names, addresses and phone numbers of all officers or managers of the organization that is applying to conduct water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trial.
(5) 
At the appearance before the Town Boards, the applicant for authorization should be prepared to answer questions related to the zoning of the property that is proposed for the water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials, and have in writing a signed document from any landowner where the event is proposed stating that they have authorized the use of the property for that purpose. The Board may direct that authorization be obtained from adjacent landowners before the event is authorized.
(6) 
The authorization granted by the Towns for water ski tournaments, competitions, exhibitions or trials is conditional upon performance of all items as stated above and additional conditions as may be imposed by each Board, and is not a license.
A. 
All boats shall operate at a slow-no-wake speed after 7:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier, on Fridays, Saturdays, holidays and the day preceding a holiday to 9:00 a.m. the following day. All other days water skiing will be permitted from 9:00 a.m. until sunset. The maximum speed outside the traffic lane shall be "slow-no-wake" at all times every day of the week.
B. 
The provisions in Subsection A shall not apply to boats participating in duly authorized races, water ski tournaments or exhibitions, or over a course laid out, plainly marked and adequately patrolled.
C. 
In the event the water level on Whitewater Lake exceeds an elevation of 892.56 feet above sea level, which is the same as 1.60 feet on the ruler bolted to the left upstream wall of the dam at the northerly end of Whitewater Lake, or in the event of a catastrophe, disaster, riot or civil commotion upon the waters of either Whitewater or Rice Lake, which impairs transportation, medical services, fire, health or police protection on the waters, either the Town Chairperson of the Town of Whitewater or the Town Board of the Town of Whitewater can declare an emergency and impose upon the entire body or bodies of waters of either Whitewater or Rice Lakes a "slow-no-wake" speed restriction on watercraft operating on the waters of the lake or lakes to last until the waters recede below 1.60 feet on the ruler or until the particular emergency situation is resolved.
D. 
On top of this dam there is a Wisconsin Railroad Commission metal circular bench mark, set at 895.63 feet above sea level. The top of the ruler bolted to the left upstream wall of the dam is 1.33 feet below the bench mark; 1.60 feet on the ruler is 1.74 feet below the top of the ruler.
E. 
"Slow-no-wake" is the speed at which a boat moves as slowly as possible while still maintaining steerage control.
F. 
The slow-no-wake restriction will be posted at all public watercraft access locations on Whitewater and Rice Lakes when in effect.
A. 
Swimming from boats prohibited. No person shall swim from any boat unless such boat is anchored and unless the swimmers stay within 25 feet of the boat. Boats used as bases for swimmers shall be adequately supplied with Coast Guard approved flotation devices to be used in emergencies.
B. 
No person shall swim more than 150 feet from the shore, nor shall any person do any distance swimming unless he or she is accompanied by a boat containing a ring buoy or Coast Guard approved personal flotation device and person trained in lifesaving technique. For this type of swimming, if there be more than one swimmer, each shall be accompanied by a boat. No person shall swim in a traffic lane from sunset to sunrise.
[Amended 7-9-2022 by Ord. No. 07-13-2022]
No aircraft of any kind capable of landing on water shall land, take off, or be berthed on the frozen or unfrozen surface of the waters covered by this division, except for the temporary purpose of an emergency landing.
No person, firm or corporation shall dock or moor any boat on the waters or along the shores of Rice and Whitewater Lakes for the purpose of living, sleeping or camping.
A. 
No person, persons or corporations shall organize or participate in any event or display upon the surface of Whitewater or Rice Lake without first obtaining a permit for such activity from the town board of the town in which the activity shall be held.
B. 
Request for a permit for organized events or displays shall be presented to the town board in triplicate before the second Monday of the month preceding the event.
C. 
Request for a permit shall describe the event, time of the event, and area of the lake to be used.
D. 
Upon action by the proper town board, one copy of the permit shall be returned to the applicant, and one copy is to be retained by the town clerk.
E. 
It is unlawful for any person or persons, during an organized event or display approved by either of the town boards, to anchor any boat within the designated area for the organized event or to in any way interfere with the participants or the organized event in any manner.
In addition to the foregoing, the following rules shall apply to boats using the waters of Rice and Whitewater Lakes:
A. 
Mooring lights required. No person shall moor or anchor any boat, raft, buoy or other floating object or permit it to drift in the traffic lane described in § 30-58 between sunset and sunrise unless there is prominently displayed thereon a white light of sufficient size and brightness to be visible from any direction 360° for a distance of one mile on a dark night with clear atmosphere. This subsection does not apply to duly authorized water ski tournaments, competition exhibits, or displays or trials thereof where adequate lighting is provided.
B. 
The drivers or operators of all boats by means of which aquaplanes, water skis or similar objects are being towed and the riders of such aquaplanes, water skis or similar objects must conform to the same rules and clearances as provided for in this division.
[Amended 7-9-2022 by Ord. No. 07-13-2022]
A. 
Any person violating § 30-62 of this division shall be fined $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 days, or both, for the first offense, and fined $5,000 or imprisoned not more than 90 days, or both, upon conviction of the same offense a second or subsequent time within one year.
B. 
Any person who shall violate the provisions of this division other than § 30-62 shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $200 together with costs imposed by law.