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NYS aids enforcement efforts for 'no wake zones' along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River

shorebirds gathered at lake ontario
Veronica Volk
/
Great Lakes Today/WXXI News
Ontario Beach is flooded and partially eroded in this 2017 photo.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is announcing ramped up efforts to enforce no-wake zones along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shoreline this weekend.

Cuomo says that with high water levels along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, it’s critical that the state supports local enforcement efforts.

He says that multiple state agencies are deploying additional resources, including 20 watercraft and 42 law enforcement officers.

Local municipalities may issue tickets carrying fines up to $250 per infraction to recreational boaters violating the 5mph speed limit within 600 feet of shore. That measure was announced by Cuomo in May.

Under normal conditions, boaters have to obey the 5mph limit with 100 feet of shore, but the expanded speed restriction was announced due to the high water levels. Waves created by boat wakes can exacerbate shoreline erosion.

Cuomo says the NYS Emergency Response Mobile Command Centers continue to offer weekend hours throughout the summer. Those units provide information about insurance, technical assistance related to flood damage and other help.

Here are some of the local stops for those centers:

Monday, July 3

Monroe - Town of Parma
Parma Town Hall
1300 Hilton Parma Rd
 

Tuesday, July 4
Wayne - Village of Sodus Point
Sodus Point Beach Park
7958 Wickham Blvd

Wednesday, July 5
Niagara - Town of Newfane
Olcott Fire Company
1691 Lockport-Olcott Road

Cayuga - Village of Fair Haven
Fair Haven Village Hall
14523 Cayuga St

Thursday, July 6
Orleans - Town of Kent
County Marine Park
Point Breeze Rd (Rt 98)

Friday, July 7
Monroe - Town of Parma
Parma Town Hall
1300 Hilton Parma Rd
 
Saturday, July 8
Wayne - Village of Sodus Point
Sodus Point Beach Park
7958 Wickham Blvd

If you can’t visit the mobile command centers, you can call the Lake Ontario Flood Assistance Hotline at 1-866-244-3839.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.