Healthy Waters Phase II Research: Propeller Wash

Phase II Overview

Propeller wash is a general term for the turbulent jet produced by the boat motor and prop. The propeller wash produced by large recreational boats is powerful, and has the potential to cause mixing of the water column and suspension of inorganic sediment (silts and sands) and organic detritus. Available research on this topic is extremely limited however.

For phase II our project will focus on answering the following questions: How deep does propeller wash penetrate into the water column for different boat sizes and usage scenarios?  At what depth does propeller wash begin to interact with the lake bottom, and what happens when it does?

Bottom mounted current sensors will be used in various water depths to measure water current depths and velocities as the boat traverses over. Water quality in the area of the test will also be measured. 

Click here to read more about the Research Plan

The study will be carried out with the highest standards for design, data quality, and report preparation and publication. 

Timeline

The Phase II fieldwork took place in the fall of 2022 and 2023. The final report will be published in the spring of 2024.