Lakes Committee approves derby

BELLA VISTA — The lakes have been busy this summer, Lakes and Parks superintendent Rick Echols told the Property Owners Association’s Joint Advisory Committee on Lakes on July 8.

Boat registrations are up over last year and more activity cards have been issued compared to last year’s photo identification cards.

The committee had an event to discuss — because the Kids Fishing Derby allows nonmembers to participate, it’s up to the committee to approve it. Events include nonmembers at association lakes and other “members only” amenities must be approved by the committee regulating the amenity, according to recent policy changes. Because the fish are provided free by the state, the fishing derby must be open to the public, Echols said.

Most of the kids who participate are either members or related to members, Echols said.

The derby is planned for Aug. 7 at the pond on the Dogwood Golf Course. Volunteers are needed to help encourage social distancing.

The committee voted to approve plans for the derby.

Echols said plans are being made to draw down Lake Rayburn, beginning in November 2020. He doesn’t believe Lake Ann should have another drawdown to finish projects this year, a possibility discussed at last month’s meeting. Drawing down Lake Ann floods a storage business in the valley and there’s not enough shoreline work needed to make it necessary.

The Lakes Committee can ask the board to include specific projects in the 2021 budget. It’s time to consider those recommendations, general manager Tom Judson said. The recommendations are due in August. Matt Champagne, committee chairman, provided the list of recommendations from last year as a starting point.

Echols said, although some of the trucks his staff drives are aging, he believes they can continue. He said he would like to have some additional money to stock catfish this fall.

Last month, lakes committee member Ross Gerner made recommendations about changing some boating regulations, including asking all boats — including fishing boats — to travel in a counter-clockwise direction around each lake; outlawing swimming in the same zone as skiing; asking boats to always turn left when picking up a downed skier; and to keep other boats from following closely behind skiers or tubers.

Champagne said regulating the direction of fishing boats isn’t necessary if there are no skiers present.

Echols agreed enforcing the counter-clockwise rule with no skiers present might be problematic.

Judson warned the group that, since most of the boats have been registered for this summer, getting that information to boaters will be difficult. Boat owners receive a list of boating regulations when they register.

Champagne suggested that the vote on the regulations could wait until the August meeting.

One member had asked if the committee’s wake regulations have been effective. Echols said last year 34 reports on wake violations that were handled by rangers speaking to boat owners were recorded. So far this year, there have been 20. He reminded the committee that usage has been up this year.