House Bill 121 was successfully passed by the House and Senate recently.
In lay terms, in the new code, no person will be allowed to wakesurf and wakeboard upon waters in Georgia as follows:
- Between sunset and sunrise
- Within 200 feet of any shoreline adjacent to a residence, public park, public park, public beach, public swimming area, marina, or other public use area
A huge thank you goes out to many who got this accomplished. Lake Burton Civic Association with Lake Burton resident Andrew Harris and LBCA Board Member deserves much credit. Harris used his 20+ year tenure as a lobbyist for Georgia Tech to good use. To accomplish this mission, he worked closely with GA Representative Victor Anderson, our local Representative, GA Senator John F. Kennedy, a Lake Burton resident, and GA Senator Bo Hatchett. LBCA Past President Chip Groome and President Elizabeth Gill have been in meetings with the leadership of the Lake Rabun Association for the past two years working on this task. Last year this bill failed to reach the floor.
In the coming weeks, the LBCA will implement educational programs to ensure Lake Burton residents understand this new law. We will keep you informed on how this develops.
For now, let’s celebrate a huge victory for the team that ushered in a law that provides much-needed safety protocols for our lake and will help mitigate our shorelines.