Large water toys were a topic at the recent Joint Advisory Committee on Lakes meeting last week. A subcommittee will be looking at the issues and making a recommendation, but the Property Owners Association Board of Directors will have to approve any new policies regulating the use of the lakes.
Committee member Jerry Argetsinger asked if there were existing rules about leaving large inflatables and water trampolines in the POA-owned lakes.
Lakes and Parks Superintendent Vern Olafson said the only time he acts is if the toy is posing a navigation problem. Anything anchored in an area where it could be hit by a boat should be moved when not in use or at night. But toys tethered to docks out of the way of traffic are left alone.
Olafson said he doesn't know of a policy about the toys.
The first step to be taken by the subcommittee will be to survey the lakes and see if there's a problem. Then they will look at POA policies to see if anything applies and make a recommendation.
The committee also discussed a policy outlawing leaves in the lake. Board member Dave Barfield said the Rules and Regulations Committee will see revisions to a proposed policy on cutting trees on POA property.
The policy was tabled at a recent board meeting to add language about property owners blowing leaves into POA lakes. Excess leaves add sediment to the lake beds, especially in coves.
During his regular report to the committee, Olafson said his department has been short-handed but is trying to keep up with routine maintenance. Recently, they have been forced to lock restrooms at night because of an incident at Metfield when someone dropped a cherry bomb into a toilet. Although, sending a worker out to lock restrooms takes them away from other duties, the clean up after the toilet incident makes the lock up worthwhile.
Fish Biologist Darrel Bowman also reported to the committee. Bowman said the heavy rains have interfered with some of his scheduled maintenance. Bowman, with his staff and some volunteers, monitors water quality in each lake and Sugar Creek. Also, with the water moving due to heavy rains, no nutrients have been added all season.
Once again there will be no lake draw down in 2016. Since Bowman began with the POA, he has developed a policy where an individual lake is considered for draw down each year. With seven POA lakes, the draw down cycle is every seven years. Next year would be Loch Lomond's turn, but a draw down is not needed, Bowman said.
Committee members asked about property owners who wait for a draw down to do maintenance on their docks and sea walls, but Bowman said his decision can not be based on lakeside property owners.
Most of that work can be done without a draw down, he said, and he has to consider the health of the lake.
General News on 07/22/2015