Patrolling the Pond, January 19, 2026
Mike Miller, Board of Directors, VP
It looks like cold weather is here to stay for a bit. We knew it would come. It’s always good to take cold weather precautions for your house. We haven’t had to deal with it too much this year. Water line breaks are an obvious hazard. Disconnecting hoses from spickets, making sure that your crawl spaces and basements have adequate heat, and opening up cupboards or vanities to let warm air in is always a good idea when it gets really cold. I tend to keep the heat a little higher (around 62) in really cold spells. Also, having an automatic water shutoff valve if you are a part-time resident or full-time resident doing some snowbird time can be a good idea to prevent any issues from becoming bigger issues. Leaks that go undetected for a long period of time can cause a lot of damage and run up a big water bill. Been there and done that. Some of this may be “old hat” but, in the spirit of it being a mild winter so far, it always helps to give a reminder. I am not an expert in this area just a good reminder. If you have questions you can always call your plumber or pull some ideas from the internet. Ok, enough on adding to your “To Do” list, let’s talk about something that brings a little more warmth in the cold.
I recently asked for topics for this column and received some great ideas. Also, there were TWO winners of the $25 gift certificate to the Beautification Store at the Association office. Congrats! One of the suggestions was to review some of the birds and other wildlife that populate our lake in the winter. Recent reports from Dave Williams, our local Environmental and Water expert on the Board has reported a fairly low incidence of critters around the lake this year. Typically beavers, groundhogs, mink, and otters can be seen around the water this time of year. Beavers and other critters that can cause destruction (like downing trees trying to dam a cove) will be trapped and released somewhere away from the lake. As for the migratory birds, most of the Canadian geese you see on the water are migrators this time of year. It seems that a few stick around each year and call the lake home adding to the resident population. We try to limit their willingness to stay via different methods. I am not a bird expert, but you can expect to see many different kinds of ducks including mallards, pintails, and teals. Bald eagles are also often seen this time of year. Loons may pass through heading south but don’t stick around long. If you are an expert bird watcher and want to send over some of the different waterfowl you have seen at the lake, that would be great. You can send it to VP@lakelotawana.net and I will post some the sightings in the next issue (probably not photos but a list)! While the human traffic on the lake in the winter is very low (except for a few outstanding warm days we experienced in December) the bird population thrives!
As a follow-up to my last article on planning spring projects, I am happy to say that our wall project by Absolute Concrete is nearly complete. The warm temps presented some good opportunity to get things done. I needed to complete the work before next summer. Most of you may know that we have been working to repave all of the lake roads starting from the east side, moving to the west side, and also completing the low-water bridge crossing. Next summer, the North Side of the lake will be milled and paved from Gate 3 to the Marina. This is an extensive project that will wrap up the process of paving all of the lake roads in less than three years! Amazing! That said, like other parts of the lake, homeowners will likely have the opportunity to have additional paving work done by the contractor. I plan on having an entry way to lots paved for easier parking. Also paving over a rocky parking pad is another goal. For those of you on the north side, you will learn more as the weather warms and we get closer to starting the project. Back to projects, you will ALWAYS want to find out if your project needs a permit either from the Association and/or the city. If you plan any work on the Parkway (know your boundaries well) you will definitely need approval. Cold weather is coming but spring (or even fake spring which may be long enough to get a project in) is just around the corner!
Finally, the dredging season is about to begin. We have developed a comprehensive dredging schedule that is based on a 20–25-year plan. Most of the plan is highly reliant on the ability to have a place to put the silt that is dredged. It took about 18-months, but as soon as a drain is placed (by late March weather willing), Silt Pond #3 should soon be ready to take on silt from Quantrill’s, Waterfall, and Big Rock Bay. Thanks to our Ops Crew, Scott Johnson and his team, for doing everything it takes to move the process along. It will likely take 9-12 months to completely dredge these three coves. Board Members and volunteers from Quantrill’s Cove are currently working on a plan to do what needs to be done (Relocate docs) to ensure that this work is done smoothly, efficiently, and in a timely manner. Once the new drain is placed, dredging can begin. The good news is that one pond is almost ready to go. Of course the less time we have with cold weather the better it is for moving pond and dredging work forward. Nature always has a way of keeping us humble and amazed.
Until next time, SEE YOU on (or near) the Pond!
SAFER SEVEN Quiz
This week, we will jump ahead a bit and start getting you ready for the water! It’s never too soon to know the rules of navigation around Lake Lotawana. This week’s focus: Registration. Go ahead, test your knowledge!
Answer True or False to the following statements.
- 2026 Annual Dues were recently sent to everyone via email. To ensure you are not late and be charged additional fees, your fees need to be paid by the last day of February.
TRUE OR FALSE? True. But paying early is also a good thing and you are less likely to forget. The new system for paying via credit card is convenient for sure!
- This year’s registration fees included fees charged for kayaks and lake toys. True or False? FALSE. Only motorized watercraft, PWCs, and sailboats have fees attached. Golf carts too. Kayaks and other lake toys DO NOT have a fee attached. That said, you should still have your LOT AND BLOCK number on any Kayak or Lake Toy.
- You must provide proof of insurance of $300,000 for powered watercraft and $100,000 for non-powered watercraft. True of False? Even though non-powered watercraft like kayak have no registration fee, you need to demonstrate proof of insurance (Section III, B, 4, p. 7, Lake Lotawana Association Rules and Regulations). I just have a standing order in with my agent to send over the POI to the office at the end of January.
- No homeowner shall register more than two (2) PWCs. True or False?
- The new e-Foil you got for Christmas counts as one of your PWCs. True or False? E-Foils do not count toward your PWC registration limit. Register your new E-Foil and have fun! (Section III, B, 4, b, p. 8).
- A friend just sold you a new bass boat with a 175hp Merc. You are jazzed for the fishing season. Registration should not be a problem. True or False? The maximum Horse- Power for the lake for outboards is 150hp. You better take it back to your friend and get a refund.
- When registering any watercraft new to the lake you must have it inspected by the Operations Staff. True or False? TRUE. Whether it is new or just new to you, you have to have any power watercraft new to the lake inspected before registering it.
How did you do? Now you are ready to register your boats and get ready for the season!