My parents are looking at buying some acreage and building a wakeboarding lake. Does any one have any input?

Check out in article in the fall 2004 waterski magazine there is an article about a family in ohio that built their own ski lake it might be of some use or you can check their website <a href="http://www.waterskimag.com" target="_blank">www.waterskimag.com</a> the issue you want to look at is fall 2004 volume 26 issue 8. Article name is lambert land on pg 22. I would like to share more but right now ohio state is tied and my thouht process is not functioning correctly.

my family built a lake on our property. it was really expensive but it turned out great. it really beats going to other lakes where you have to deal with jet skis and other people who really shouldn't be ruining the glass!!

We are lucky in Canada, so much water and so much space. My parents' house is on a lake and it is almost always fairly calm <BR> <BR>Except the snow sucks!

I read that radar lake is man made. I could be wrong. but cool man made lake That would be nice

just buy a house on a private ski lake will save tons of $$$$$$$ (thats what my friend did) <BR>-alex-

Do you know how may acers you need to build a lake???

well we're looking at 60. but we think 10 acres for the lake.

Why build a lake, is that anywhere near cost effective? Do you have millions of dollars you want to flush down the toilet? Buy a nice home on a lake and take the rest of the money and pay for college.

Being in California I just can't imagin building your own lake. We pay for water by the cubic foot here and I can barely afford to water my lawn! <BR> <BR>Not to mention that coming up with 10 acres of level land would be a problem. Speaking of which, just how do you build a lake? Build levee all around the perimeter of the lake? Or are you lucky enough to have property with a natural canyon shape that you can dam up? <BR> <BR>This just boggles my mind.

visit <a href="http://www.laku.com" target="_blank">www.laku.com</a>

What's up with 16 year old girls from Ohio with wakesetters getting their own lakes built?? Only kidding a private lake would be awesome if you got the dinero to dish out for it. Show pictures so we can be ultimately jealous.

Gould Engineering in Flint MI has engineered many ski lakes. I am using them for a private lake project now. Lots available in 2006.

Tell your parents to come on down to So-Cal and build fifty of them. <BR>Please.

Here's a link for Gould Engineering. <a href="http://www.gouldengineering.com/ski_lakes/ski_lakes.htm" target="_blank">http://www.gouldengineering.com/ski_lakes/ski_lakes.htm</a> <BR>Website has pictures of a few lakes they've built.

I login today and see this discussion board talking about my retirement goal! <BR>I may make it someday but in San Diego (even in East County) the project cost triples and the water bill, well, let's not discuss it. <BR> <BR>-Tyler

I would recommend you build in an area were it rains some in the winter that way you have less a water bill, wont fill your lake most likely but it would help. people up north are lucky with that like the girl in Ohio.

Some guy is still promising to build one in Ramona, but he's been saying that for many years now. Originally, they were going to use ground water, but now they plan to use reclaimed and city water I believe. I think they got too much flack from the neighboring properties. He may have also decided to lay low while we are in a drought. <BR> <BR>The project originally consisted of two lakes and 37 homes, but now it's at one lake and 28 homes on 148 acres. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.esquilago.com/" target="_blank">http://www.esquilago.com/</a>

Thanks David! <BR> <BR>I had heard rumblings about the Project in Ramona but never thought it went anywhere. If this does get off the ground it would be a great location near Mt. Woodson. Not sure about that reclaimed water though..... <BR> <BR>-Tyler <BR> <BR>-Tyler

i do consider myself a lucky 16 year old girl from ohio with a wakesetter but the lakes still not a definite. if we were going to build it we would dam a creek. i love california. wish we could move there, maybe college! <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/wink.gif" border=0>

I am working on a 6-lake complex in MI. Half of the land purchased, working on the other half. Should have it committed in about a week or two.

Just build a cable park/boat lake while you are at it.

make sure your lake has a party cove.

You could build them all over the place in Washington with how much it rains, but good luck damming up a creek. You can't even move a rock in the water without replacing it in the exact same location in Washington. Plus we have an abundance of protestors up here who are bound to stand in the middle of a major road and block traffic for hours if someone tries to build a man made lake. Anyone know the rules on man made lakes in Washington?? I would think there would be a market for it up here with the boat population.

I work for a construction company and if you had scrappers come in and dig you a hole it would be pretty expensive. And you will have a hard time damming up a creek if they are as strict about that stuff as they are here in California. Good luck though.

As far as a cable park would go what would be a good size for the lake? I see the lake in that brochure is 2300 by 300 or 690,000 sq. ft. which is roughly 15 acres if I did the conversion right. <BR> <BR>I read up on the one in Texas and it says it is set up for six riders at a time. I was thinking more along the lines of 15 to 20. <BR> <BR>Also would people show up for just the cables or would it be better to have a seperate lake area for some power boat stuff as well.

I don't think you west coast residents understand the nature of the regulations in the Midwest. Most of the time property rights still trump. Damming up a creek can be done. <BR> <BR>My lakes will be built in a shallow aquifer on top of a 40' thick aquatard. I will not have to pump in water and the 30" of rain we receive each year easily outstrips the rate of evaporation. Our direct catchment area exceeds 205 acres for runoff management. <BR> <BR>Sorry, no party cove. There will, however, be 60 home sites available for purchase. All 6 lakes will be connected so you can almost always find unused water. We are also considering an adjoining horse farm, but without lake access. <BR> <BR>Not interested in a cable park. Not a valid business model in West MI. It is a 5-year loser. You cannot sell enough gear to make up the difference. There are simply too many lakes and boats to compete with. <BR> <BR>In terms of excavation, it can be done economically. Scrapers for the overburden; hydraulics or drag lines for the main depth. The main thing is to effectively manage the excavated spoils so they are not double-handled. <BR> <BR>Building a lake can be done effectively. It is costly, frustrating, and takes a lot of patience. I am doing it so I have decent water and to make a buck or two.

I have a friend who works with a builder in sac. he said that one way to get the lake built a bit cheaper is to sell the dirt on your property to a developer and in return have them dig it to your specs. i don't think it would be a fifty fifty trade but it definately seems possible. <BR>

I've heard a rumor here in Arkansas Farmers are getting money from the government to help them build resevoirs, and the ones I have seen are huge, and would be great to board on, does anybody know if this is true or not

Cassie...I'll trade you: you can have my house and go to college in the bay area and I'll move in with your parents and ride behind the Malibu on your private lake. <BR> <BR>Awesome. It'll be great. He, he<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/wink.gif" border=0>

Greg, just to answer your question about the cable park, if you put more than 6-8 carriers on one cable you are talking some serious chop from riders, unless your lake is huge and has chop barriers. Odub has 6 carriers and a great chop barrier system and that lake is chopped to hell if all the carriers are full for a few laps.

How much chop could 6 riders really produce? Its not 6 boats with 3000 lbs ballast all running at the same time. Lets see some pics of choppy cable park lakes... thanks

I wanna know how much those lakefront lots are going to be selling for on Karl's project. <BR> <BR>It sounds like an awesome business plan. However, you're selling to a specific market so I would think patience will be required on more than just the building of the lakes. Those lots would sell like hot cakes in Florida, regardless of the price, the way the market is down here for "ski lake" property, but as for Michigan - I have no clue...what are you thinking they'll sell for?

If you are going to build a lake--why sell lots? Wouldn't it be better to keep all the water for yourself? <BR> <BR>Bobby - There are all sorts of ways to get the government to help pay for ski lakes. Two methods used around here have been power generation and catfish farming. Of course there is also <a href="http://www.fbci.gov" target="_blank">www.fbci.gov</a> if you are willing to put a religious slant on things. If you can find a good grant writer and have some political pull it isn't too hard to get a million bucks to setup a Christian summer camp for "at-risk" kids. There is a group in Charlotte, NC that bought all their waterfront property this way and run each other's kids through the summer program.

The final lots on our lake developement are going for 180K+ now. Houses are generally starting at about 400K+ with the most expensive just going for 1.5 Mil. There is a market for people, but a lot of them are "oldsters" with the pontoon boats. Most of the boarders on our lake are people who live in the developement but not on the lake and they tow in and out every day. We used to be that way too. I travel to MI a lot for buisness and there are some really nice lakes along the way. <BR> <BR>Eric

CDM, i know its not 6 weighted down boats, but trust me. Here is a pick of my girlfriend about to hot a rail at ODUb last weekend. The big cable was dead calm, no wind, no riders. Here is the small cable at the same time. 4-5 riders were up at the moment, and had been for at least a few laps. It isn't a great pic since its a video capture, but you can get the idea. <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/200292.jpg" alt="">

Are you talking about North Carolina, Eric? Was your lake man-made? <BR> <BR>It sounds like Karl will have to stock the lakes with fish if he'll be selling to the "oldsters". <BR> <BR>I'd love to see an aerial photo of how the lakes and lots are set up for Karl's project. hint hint

Scott, you liar it was windy as hell last weekend. ha ha

David, I am a liar, it was two weekends ago. I swear it was not windy at all that day. Anyway, you all get my point.

David, <BR> <BR>No, we are just west of Cincinnati, in Lawrenceburg. The lake was manmade. They damned up the end of a valley and there is some creeks feeding it, but it's mostly rainwater fed. It's over 150' near the dam, but in our cove, it is very shallow. Water at my dock is 3-4ft on average. <BR> <BR>Lots of fish, lots of ducks, lots of pontoon boats. <BR> <BR>Eric

Right on Eric. It sounds nice. My lake probably averages 10' deep. <BR> <BR>Damn, Scott - you're absolutely right then O-dub is seriously banged up because I rode that weekend and the weather was basically perfect.

odub gets even more choppy when big guys like me fall after going off the kicker. SPLASH!

Splash is what a fish does when it hits the top of the water. I think you meant to say "KER-PLUNK!"