Wakes, drawdowns draw committee’s attention

■ Lake Avalon and Loch Lomond will be lowered this winter.

The first step towards solving a problem, board member John Nuttall told the Joint Advisory Committee on Lakes, is to determine if it is a problem. During the August meeting, the committee revisited the issue of wakes on POA lakes.

Three members told the board that large wakes are an issue, but one member, Terry McConnell, said he moved to his home on Loch Lomond because he enjoys water sports and wakes are just part of living on the lake. McConnell said sea walls will protect lakeside property as long as they are built correctly.

Wake boats are blamed for some of the problem. Wake boats have large tanks that can be filled with water so the boat will generate a larger wake. Wake boarders and people riding tubes enjoy a larger wake. McConnell said other types of boats can create a large wake as well, especially if they are loaded with passengers.

POA attorney Doug McCash warned the committee that regulations should be based on the actual wake, not the type of boat. POA regulations ban wakes within 100 feet of shore. Both Loch Lomond and Lake Windsor have a designated area for water skiing, tubing and wake boarding. Increasing the distance from shore will make those areas smaller.

Last year, the committee discussed wake boats and decided not to recommend any changes in boating regulations, member Rick Yorman reminded the group.

The committee decided to appoint a subcommittee, led by Yorman, to investigate the issue.

The committee spent a few minutes talking about the lake drawdowns planned for this winter. Both Lake Avalon and Loch Lomond will be lowered, giving residents the opportunity to work on sea walls and docks. Two meetings are planned to give members the chance to ask questions about the drawdowns and about permits needed for work around the shoreline. Both will be at Riordan Hall. The first one is 10 a.m. Aug. 29. The second is 7 p.m. Sept. 14.