Patrolling the Pond March 3, 2026
Mike Miller
So much for our brief spring. They will return. Mid 70s have moved back to more seasonal temps, albeit I still think we got past most of the winter with just the right amount of snow and cold weather to enjoy it but not have it grow old. I will take it! March has come in like a lion with a little bit of thunder and lightning and frozen “graupel,” a term I just heard on the local weather. Graupel apparently is snowflakes coated in frozen water. Who knew? I grew up and have lived most of my life in climates where frozen precipitation can occur at just about any time of year (including hail), and I have never heard of graupel. The learning in life never ends! Which brings me to my next point. The Annual Membership meeting.
The Annual Membership meeting is something that everyone should attend. If the past is a predictor of the future, about 10-15% of the membership will attend. Frankly, I’m not sure what we would do if everyone decided this was the year. So why attend? It’s another source of information on what’s happening in 2026 and how the Board is addressing all of the issues we need to address. That said, before I actually became a Board Member, I attended either the budget meeting or the Annual meeting, but not usually both. Mostly, it was a scheduling issue, which I’m sure is the case for many. Personally, while it would be great to see more attend, I can’t say that it really matters to me. It’s a choice. We have many avenues for getting information on what’s going on at the lake and how well the plans for 2026 are progressing. This great paper is one source. Your District Board Member is another. And of course, you can always call the office. One source that I wouldn’t put much value in is what you read on social media. Like a lot of posts, trolling about lake issues is pretty common and usually over-opinionated, uninformed rhetoric. And there you have it. Some over-opinionated, informed rhetoric! If you decide to attend, it would be great to meet you if I haven’t. I am always open to new ideas for articles for Patrolling the Pond. Bring a few with you!
An even more important event for the Annual Meeting is the election of Board Members. This year, odd-numbered districts are up for election or re-election. Your ballots are due into the office BY SATURDAY, March 7th, 2026, to be counted in the election. As someone on the ballot this year, I always appreciate the votes (that’s for those in my District). We live in an interesting community. I did a bit of research, and most HOAs have 5-8 board members regardless of the community’s size. You are truly represented! Then again, we manage a lot more issues than the typical HOA. No pools. No workout rooms in the clubhouse. Just everything that comes with a big, beautiful lake, taking care of all its roads, and making sure that hundreds of floating structures and moving, powered, and non-powered watercraft are registered and operating safely. That’s something very few think about. The big difference between what the HOA and Board Members do here and what you find in an everyday, ordinary HOA is that the Board’s responsibility is really like running a small city. We may even have more committees than most cities! One of my goals this year for this column is to interview the chairs of all our committees to give you additional context on what they do and why they exist. Stay tuned for those in upcoming editions of the Lotawana News.
One of the newer committees is the Dredging Committee. This committee was formed in the middle of 2024 to address one of the most, if not the most, important issues we face as an Association and homeowners… keeping our lake navigable for everyone. What could be more important? With over 62MM cubic feet of fine silt entering the lake annually, finding ways to stem the flow, remove what is already there, and find a place to put it is a major challenge. The last step really became the first step, which is why it has taken a bit more time to see real progress (as in actual dredging), while real progress, mostly unseen, has been made. The unseen, never really noticed, Silt Pond #3 is just about ready to take on the silt from three coves. That’s progress! Silt pond design and reconstruction are among the first priorities in dredging. Without those big ditches that hide behind the hills and trees, nothing else happens. Silt pond reconstruction and clearing will be at the top of the list as the plans for dredging other parts of the lake continue to evolve.
REMINDER: Short-term rentals are not allowed in our community. This includes during the upcoming World Cup. On another note, at 6pm on March 10th, just before the Annual Membership meeting ( which starts at 7pm), we will have a Quantrill’s Cove Community meeting to review the dredging plans for this spring and summer. It would be great if everyone stayed for the Membership meeting too! Given the forecast for some much-needed rain this week, it’s hard to say if we will be seeing temps in the 70s for the Membership Meeting or seeing some more graupel hitting the docks. Either way, spring is not far away. See you on the Pond!
Safer Seven Quiz
This week Safer Seven is going to focus on what are considered NEGLIGENT OPERATIONS. You can find these rules in Section 3, Part I, page 15 of the Lake Lotawana Rules and Regulations. You can also find these online at https://lakelotawana.net/rules-and-regulations/ . This is adult learning folks. You can test yourself with the quiz, but we do give you the answers. The goal of SAFER SEVEN is to promote knowledge of the rules because with knowledge and application comes safety. Test your knowledge then review the rules. Better SAFER than sorry.
Respond True or False to the following statements:
- You can get 6 points for endangering a buoy or dock. True or False? TRUE! Negligent activity includes endangering other watercraft, swimmers, skiers, downed skiers, fisherman, sailors, buoys and docks (Section III, Part I, p. 15).
- When you cross in front of another watercraft, you must be at least 100 ft in front of them. True or False? FALSE! You must be at least 150ft in front of another watercraft on a fixed course (6pt. violation) (Section III, Part I, subsection 1, p. 15).
- Sitting on the gunwales or decking over the bow or stern is prohibited while a watercraft is in operation above slow or no wake speed. True or False? TRUE! (3pts).
- Jumping in the water from a moving watercraft is prohibited. True or False? TRUE! (3pts).
- Abusive or belligerent behavior is prohibited. True or False? TRUE! (6pts). If someone is belligerent or abusive, get their lot and block and report it to Water Safety. Yes, reporting any prohibited behavior is ok. Remember, we are all Water Safety!
- If you are intoxicated and do damage to property or people you can get a 15 points and a one-year suspension of lake privileges. True or False. TRUE!
- Operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited. True or False. TRUE! (6pts). And if you refuse a breathalyzer, blood alcohol study you can lose your lake privileges for a year.
It’s always a great idea to review these rules with your family members regularly. And ALWAYS review the rules of the lake with your guests as you are responsible for their actions. Remember, we are ALL Water Safety, and it begins with knowing and taking the rules seriously. We are always open for ideas. Just email Mike at VP@lotawana.net