Patrolling the Pond: The Water Safety Blotter Edition PART 2.
Mike Miller, Vice President, Lake Lotawana Homeowners Association
If you missed the last edition of Patrolling the Pond you missed the first of two of the “Water Safety Blotter,” where the citations issued in 2025 were reviewed (you can find it online at lakelotawana.net). Before going into Part 2, let’s talk about October! It’s such an exciting month at the Lake! The colors of fall are beginning to show-off shades of amber and citrine and the temps are still warm enough for boating and other lake activities. The lake is quiet and peaceful most weekdays and weekends. And the water is still pretty warm! You can sometimes smell the aroma of campfires on the water which immediately triggers a desire for smores (at least for me). Activities abound in October! Lotawana Home Show* (October 4th) and LotaSmoke (October 10th-11th) are two of my favorite events of the year! I recommend finding your way to both. I will be at both gathering stories that will find their way into the archives of Patrolling the Pond. Thanks to everyone who 1) organizes and volunteers, 2) opens their homes, and 3) shows their BBQing talents to make these events legendary and part of the lore of our community. October is another great month at the Lake!
Keeping with the idea of having a growth mindset in play from the last edition of Patrolling the Pond, the goal of the “Blotter,” is to build awareness of our Rules and Regs and promote water safety. This time let’s take a look at some of the non-water citations in 2025. You will recall that citations are divided into the following categories:
Types of Violations and Citations Issued:
Docks 20
Parkway 14
Water Violations 38
Vessels 23
Other 14
The totals are as follows for each category of violations for non-water violations:
Dock violations: Disrepair (4), Missing Lot/Block# (11), Permits (5).
Examples include no Lake Improvement Board approved placement to excessive lighting and other location placement issues.
Parkway use violations: Items placed on parkway (11).
Issues include placing patios, turf, trash, firepits, shore stations.
NOTE: Whatever is placed on the Parkway without prior approval will require removal.
Vessel violations: Decal Lot/Block number (19), Other (4.)
Includes not showing lot and block #; wake enhancement/improper mooring.
Other violations: Property (4), Fireworks (4), Silt fence (6).
These violations include golf cart issues, shooting fireworks from docks, and improper erosion control.
There were 16 cases of non-permitting of construction projects. This is an example of something that would be easily managed with a simple phone call and a question to the Lake Lotawana Association Office. I call when I have any questions about rules, permitting, or other less common rules. If you are building ANYTHING on your property it is always good to call first. The rule for everyone should be, if you are not sure of what you should do based on reading the Lake Lotawana Rules and Regulations or Deed of Restrictions CALL THE ASSOCIATION OFFICE! I would call before doing anything on or near the Parkway or plan on building anything on your property. Life will be simpler if you do. As Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” So, before doing anything on the Parkway, on your Dock, or even things like retaining walls or other projects, it is always simpler to make a phone call to the Office FIRST. You will be glad you did.
Here is another fun fact on citations issued. 60% of citations in 2025 were issued to Full-Time residents with 40% issued to Part-Time residents. I do need to do a little more analysis on how that plays out on the water and true water safety issues vs. other violations. Stay tuned for that. It’s funny because I was told by someone once that even if you are Part-Time resident, you are still a full-time owner! Bottom line: We all have an interest in water safety and honoring our Rules and Regs.
Another analysis I think would be helpful would be to determine how many of the citations were issued to those with less than two-years of residency. I think there are some opportunities to provide training using video to new residents and especially those new to boating. I know some suggestions have been out there. I think this winter and early spring might provide some time to begin developing some curriculum for new owners. It could also be provided to those who receive citations. Courtesy reminders are beneficial when it comes to building awareness of our rules. Training videos may be good addition to that process. More to come on that.
I am big fan of reflection. Studies show that we can always learn from reflection. Often times we just keep “doing” and don’t take time to reflect. The goal of sharing these statistics in the “Blotter,” is to raise awareness and learn. Overall, with the thousands of lake-time boating hours and non-water activities, I think the community as a whole is doing pretty good job of honoring the Rules and Regulations. We can always do better. Knowing the Rules and Regulations and reviewing them regularly with your family is the best path to a safer lake. We are all Water Safety! Time to go enjoy the October activities that make our lake what it is. Enjoy!
*Tickets to the Lake Lotawana Homes Tour can be purchased online for $40 (+ a small processing fee) or the day of the event at each house (cash/check) on tour or at the Lake Lotawana Community Club.
As always if you have any questions, comments, or ideas for this column feel free to email me at VP@lakelotawana.net
SAFER SEVEN QUIZ: Test your knowledge of NON-WATER Rules and Regulations with a special focus on the Parkway.
Are the following statements True or False?
- No person should build anything (structure, buildings, firepits) on the Common Areas (Parkway) without first getting receiving approval. True or False?
- I can put a permanent firepit by my dock without getting approval. True or False?
- Owners can be cited for not putting up silt fences if contractor did not install the appropriate erosion control. True or False?
- I need to get a permit to install new electrical on my dock this fall. True of False
- Putting in a new PWC lift requires approval. True or False?
- Road cuts or boring below the road surface is a violation of the rules. True or False?
- Dumping leaves across the street or in the culvert is ok this fall. True or False?
Answers
- No person should build anything (structure, buildings, firepits) on the Common Areas (Parkway) without first getting receiving approval. TRUE. Always get approval before placing anything that means anything on the Common Areas/Parkway. (Section IV, Part A, subsection 2 a &b)
- I can put a permanent firepit by my dock without getting approval. True or False? (Section IV, Part A, subsection 2)
- Owners can be cited for not putting up silt fences if contractor did not install the appropriate erosion control. True or False?
- I need to get a permit to install new electrical on my dock this fall. True of False. (Section IV, Part A, subsection 2, 13)
- Putting in a new PWC lift requires approval. True or False? Any dock changes require a dock change permit.
- Road cuts or boring below the road surface is a violation of the rules. True or False? (Section IV, Part C, 3)
- Dumping leaves across the street or in the culvert is ok this fall. True or False? FALSE. (Section IV, Part C, 5)