Local Boating Rules and Regulations

Now that we are into the summer boating season and with the 4th of July holiday fast approaching, I wanted to send out a reminder about a few key rules related to operating watercraft on the lake.  
 
I’ve gotten some questions / comments from people concerned about people’s safety, and we want to make sure that everyone is able to enjoy their time out on the lake.  Pease remember these rules are intended to help everyone enjoy beautiful Lake Riley – and do so safely.
 
Please keep in mind the following (and remember these are just a handful of the full boating regulations):

• Personal watercraft (i.e. jet ski) operation is allowed only from 9:30 a.m. to 1 hour BEFORE sunset.
• Operation of personal watercraft (i.e. jet ski) within 150 feet of any shoreline must be limited to straight in/out or slow-no wake.
• Personal watercraft cannot jump the wake of another watercraft within 150 feet of the watercraft (often a concern for personal watercraft following wake surfing boats).
• Operation of motorized watercraft within 100 feet of any shoreline must be limited to emerging straight out from and straight towards the shoreline, or slow-no wake operation (Chanhassen rule)
• Pulling someone behind a watercraft (i.e. water-skiing, tubing, wake-surfing, etc.) is allowed only from sunrise to 30 minutes AFTER sunset.  
• When pulling someone behind a watercraft (i.e. water-skiing, tubing, wake-surfing, etc.) the boat and person being towed must stay more than 150 feet from other people or structures (Eden Prairie rule).
• Navigation (if underway) or anchoring (if anchored) lights must be on from sunset to sunrise.
• Life jackets are required to be worn for children under 10.  A readily accessible life jacket is required for each person onboard (includes canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards).  One throwable is required on boats 16 feet or longer.
• Structures such as swimming rafts, boat lifts, buoys, etc., which do not extend from shore, cannot be in the water between sunset and sunrise unless allowed under permit issued by county sheriff.

 
The 2019 Minnesota DNR Boating Guide is available at the link below for further reference.
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/boatwater/boatingguide.pdf
 
There are of course pages of rules between Minnesota, the City of Chanhassen, and the City of Eden Prairie.  Probably the most important one of all is to please be courteous, respectful, and friendly to your fellow users of the lake.  Lake Riley is a public resource for all to enjoy, and we all need to do our part to make sure we treat others the way we would like to be treated out on the lake.