As of May 1, a shallow 43-acre portion of Lake Manitou is now protected from further damage from high-speed boating.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has placed watercraft restrictions on an area known as "the Prairie," located in the west-central basin of this 713-acre lake. It is now illegal to operate a boat under power, or even to anchor a boat anywhere within the designated boundaries of this once-vibrant wetland. While boats still may be rowed or paddled through the area, the new boating restrictions should help spur the return of native vegetation that once was so dense that the area became known as "the Prairie."

Once a shallow wetland of softstem bulrush and other emergent plants, the Prairie has become nearly devoid of native vegetation. Lying in the middle of this highly developed lake, the Prairie suffered from constantly increasing boat traffic. Boats crossing the lake often ran through the shallow waters of the Prairie. Dense wetland plants gradually gave way to the submersed non-native plant Eurasian watermilfoil. Waterfowl no longer congregated among the rushes and sedges, and nesting fish lost out to jet boats and wave runners.

In April 2003, the Manitou Lake Association petitioned the DNR to restrict watercraft operation in the 43-acre former wetland. Residents recognized the need to reestablish the wetland and took advantage of a DNR program that provides protection for sensitive areas of lakes by restricting watercraft operation. In May 2003, Major Sam Purvis of DNR law enforcement and Orv Huffman, president of the lake association, organized the first in a series of meetings between area residents, boaters, fishermen, and DNR officials to discuss possible regulations to protect the failing Prairie. A plan was formulated and presented to the DNR Advisory Council in February 2004. The council approved the plan, and a public hearing early in 2005 reflected overwhelming local support. The Natural Resource Commission approved the proposal early this year.

Lake Manitou now joins just two other Indiana lakes, Wawasee and Syracuse, with special boating restrictions that protect endangered wetlands. The DNR calls these areas "econzones."

"DNR fish & wildlife biologists join the conservation officers in applauding the Manitou Lake Association for protecting the wetlands of the Prairie," said Maj. Purvis. "All will be watching and hoping for the recovery of this very special shallow water ecosystem.

"Successful protection of Lake Manitou’s Prairie will ultimately depend on how well boaters observe the new rules," added Major Purvis. "Our conservation officers patrol the lake on a regular basis, but they cannot be watching for boating violations on the Prairie all the time."