Lambton OPP officers are warning boaters they will be vigilant in patrolling area waterways and enforcing no-wake regulations.
Property owners along the St. Clair River are continuing to express concern about this year's high water levels.
OPP remind all vessel operators that no person shall operate a power-driven vessel at a speed in excess of 10 kilometres per hour within 30 metres of the shore. Failure to do so could result in a $200 fine.
Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu said she's fielded several calls from people worried about flooding or damage to their properties from the constant hammering of the shoreline by waves.
She said she's been in touch with the Canadian Coast Guard [CCG] and provincial police [OPP] locally.
"They have taken measures to slow the freighters down, but the remaining issue is, a lot of the powerboats and luxury cruisers are still speeding and may not be aware that with the high water levels there's extra damage," said Gladu.
To her knowledge, there haven't been any "no-wake zones" implemented in our area -- at least on the Canadian side of the river.
"I've left it to them [CCG and OPP] to figure out the best way to communicate to the public and to recreational boaters. They may decide to take measures, such as are being taken on the other side [Michigan], which has implemented no-wake zones or speed limits to address the high water level."
But, Gladu is encouraging boaters to be mindful of their actions.
"If you are a recreational boat user and you have a powerboat or a luxury cruiser, please keep your speed far under 10 knots, especially close to the shoreline. If you stay out further from the shoreline there's less danger, but close to the shoreline you need to slow down because it's causing damage," she said.
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority recently said levels in Wallaceburg were 20 to 30 centimetres higher than the average for this time of year.
Director of Water Resources Girish Sankar said in addition to the flood risk, communities along the St. Clair River, Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair could experience increased shoreline erosion.
"We are reminding boaters to follow posted boat speeds and no-wake zones while out on the water," Sankar said.
No-wake buoys have been installed on the American side of the St. Clair River at Algonac, Michigan, which recently declared a local flood emergency.
Windsor's Port Authority authorized a temporary 30-day buffer zone for all motorized boats and jet skis last Friday.
The no-wake zone stretches from the Windsor border at Tecumseh near Lake St. Clair, down the Detroit River to LaSalle.