Legislature has opportunity to make a better Candlewood

We believe there is a legitimate need to limit the size of boats crowding Candlewood Lake and rocking smaller vessels in their wake.

And we agree that crafting a state statute toward that goal would be more efficient than following a slower regulatory path through the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP itself recommended that course of action this week, saying that the General Assembly could get the job done quicker than the department could.

An effort to limit boats to less than 26 feet long -- a proposal introduced last year by state Rep. Mary Ann Carson, R-New Fairfield -- would be an important step toward keeping the lake safe and providing the most enjoyment for the greatest number of people.

Ms. Carson said this week that passing her proposed legislation would create state law that would lay out a detailed plan for enforcement and penalties regarding the length restriction for boats on the lake, which serves New Milford, Brookfield, Sherman, Danbury and New Fairfield.

Candlewood Lake Authority Executive Director Larry Marsicano testified in Hartford on Monday that only about 110 of 4,301 boats now on the lake exceed the proposed limit. But he said bigger boats are becoming more popular on Candlewood Lake.

Setting a size limit now would head off that trend, and as proposed it would "grandfather" in those bigger boats already in use on the lake.

It can be argued that bigger boats are not necessarily the worst culprits when it comes to speed on the lake -- another safety factor that needs to be addressed. But size certainly contributes to the lake congestion that has been a growing problem -- particularly on warm-weather weekends.

We encourage the boating public to fully understand the arguments for and against size restriction, and to make their voices heard. We suggest attending a presentation by the DEP and Candlewood Lake Authority on March 11 at 7 p.m. at WestConn's Science Building on the midtown campus.

And in Hartford, we urge lawmakers to agree on a comprehensive law. Doing so now can put a stop to escalating boat sizes on the lake, and eliminate the need to limit sizes at a later date, when the lake would be that much more crowded.