SANDPOINT — Bonner and Kootenai counties are imposing stricter no-wake zone rules to mitigate property damage amid flood conditions.

In Bonner County, commissioners passed a resolution extending the no-wake zones from 200 feet to 500 feet. Wake zones extend from shore, in addition to docks, piers and bridges.

“The extension will remain in effect until the threat no longer exists,” the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Violations of Bonner County’s no-wake zone are prosecuted as an infraction, which is punishable by a $300 fine, according to Idaho Code.

Kootenai County commissioners, meanwhile, enacted a resolution that declares the southern portion of the lake within its jurisdiction a no-wake zone to prevent property damage in Scenic, Idlewilde and Echo bays. The Kootenai County line roughly extends from Cape Horn to the easternmost edge of Echo Bay.

The sheriff’s office in Kootenai County will be conducting routine patrols in the affected areas. Violations of the no-wake rule on the southern end of the lake are prosecuted as misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Sheriff’s officials are also warning boaters to be on the lookout for debris due to a breach at the Clark Fork Driftyard, which helps corral downed trees which make their way into the Clark Fork River and Lake Pend Oreille. Logs have also been staking up against bridge pilings, creating additional hazards to navigations. Boaters are further urged to be mindful of swift currents on the Pend Oreille and Clark Fork rivers.

Flows in the Pend Oreille River and elevations on Lake Pend Oreille are forecast to continue to rise through the next 10 days, and have the potential to meet or exceed 2011 levels later this month, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Outflow from Albeni Falls Dam is above the 95,000 cubic feet per second flood flow, and is currntly forecast to exceed 120,000 cfs next week.

The elevation of Lake Pend Oreille was forecast to exceed flood stage of 2,063.5 feet last night and expected to exceed 2,064 feet by early next week, the corps said in a flow advisory issued on Friday.