Environmental impact is an increasingly important consideration whenever new construction or virtually any new business launches. Cable wakeboard parks can be set up either as standalone aquatic parks or as part of a natural ecosystem, and both options have some positive considerations on their side.
Compared to a traditional motorboat venue in a lake or reservoir, cable parks have an enormous capacity within a limited space, and therefore the environmental impact is contained. A system with an 875-yard cable, operated at typical wakeboard speed (19 mph), makes nearly 40 rounds in an hour and can accommodate ten customers at a time. Can a wakeboarder on your average motorboat get 6 miles of riding in just 20 minutes? Imagine the impact that ten gas-powered boats, running simultaneously, would have on the lake environment during that time: fuel consumption, oil and exhaust pollution, shoreline erosion, and more!
Cable systems feature quiet, clean, and energy-efficient electric motors. No dirty, oil-covered engines are immersed in the water, no fuel leaks into the environment, and no exhaust pollutes the air. With no motorboats creating massive wakes, shore erosion is eliminated, promoting clean water and a healthier ecosystem.
Steady oxygenation is critical for the health of any lake. Lakes without proper water movement that develop oxygen-free zones will suffer from offensive odors, cloudy green water, and algae blooms. Oxygen generally comes from a constant inflow of refreshed water from sources like fountains, waterfalls, a babbling brook, a vertical pump, or the steady circulation of wakeboarders and water skiers. An active cable facility, however, can infuse tons of oxygen per year into the lake. Without this refreshment, unhealthy lakes can harbor harmful organisms. In one study at a cable wakeboard facility, researchers observed a 55x decrease in e-coli bacteria compared to pre-park operation. Subsequent testing has found that bacteria levels in the lake have become unmeasurable.
