HSVPOA Lakes Committee Report 3-16-22

Jerry Swaim, Vice-chair of the Hot Springs Village POA Lakes Committee, presented the quarterly report to the Board of Directors on March 16, 2022. He addressed recent accomplishments, current projects, and future plans for the Lakes Committee.

Recent Accomplishments

• Lake staff continues dredging operations – hydraulic dredging on Lake DeSoto. Pineda and Isabella Lakes continue with the drawdown and the mechanical dredging on Pineda.

• A valve issue on Lake Isabella is being addressed. The mechanical dredging is almost complete on Pineda.

• Fish stocking was completed on Lakes Granada and Sophia. The Granada Shoreliners collected money for the fish stocking on their lake.

Lakes Committee’s Three Subcommittees
(Recent Accomplishments)

• Lakes Information and Education Subcommittee
  • This subcommittee has been working on a summary of boating rules. There are plans to give this summary out to folks when they purchase boat decals. This summary will also be made available at the marinas and the boat ramps.

• Buoy Placement Guidelines Subcommittee
  • This subcommittee has taken the 2017 version of the buoy placement guidelines and updated them, creating the February 9, 2022 version. The Committee voted unanimously to adopt this latest version of the buoy guidelines.

• Scuba Diving Subcommittee
  • This subcommittee completed and generated some guidelines concerning scuba diving. Stakeholders, including several scuba experts, which at least three are very familiar with the HSV lakes worked on these guidelines.
  • Feedback was also received from the POA Risk Management Department.
  • The purpose of this subcommittee was to come up with a recommendation to present to the Board for discussion. This is currently going through the appropriate channels. This issue may be discussed at the Board’s next Discussion Session.

Routine and Regular Activities

• Monitoring lake levels, temperature, and clarity are routine Lake Committee activities. This information is provided to Brad Meredith, Lakes Ecology & Fisheries Manager.

Current Projects

• Lake Dredging

• News/Information Articles
  • Lakes Information and Education Subcommittee continues to work on news articles, both for the paper and the Digest and also handouts for lake users. A trifold brochure for the lakes is being developed.

• Committee Openings
  • Three positions will be coming open on the committee, with eight applicants. Interviews will be conducted soon.

• Lakes Symposium
  • The Lakes Management Department is holding a Lakes Symposium in April at the Coronado Community Center. The committee is helping to prepare for that event.

Future Plans

• Fish Habitat
  • Once dredging is complete the committee will work on fish habitat in the lakes and that includes both acquiring and placing cedar trees in the lakes for fish habitat. There are still quite a few Christmas trees at the boat ramps. Those will be put in the lake with the help of Baitcasters and the HSV Anglers Club.

• Electro Fishing Survey and Assessment
  • Lakes Management Staff will conduct its spring Electro Fishing Survey and Assessment. This was last performed in 2019 due to COVID concerns.

• Hydraulic Dredging
  • Hydraulic dredging will begin once Lakes Pineda and Isabella are refilled.

• Continued Efforts of Lakes Information and Education Subcommittee
  • The Lakes Information and Education Subcommittee will continue their efforts along with the routine and regular activities such as monitoring lake levels, temperature, and clarity. Of course, the subcommittee also responds to queries from the Board of Directors and any POA member questions or issues that come up and interfaces with the lakes-related clubs.

• Additional Committee Tasks
  • Several times a year the Lakes Committee assesses all the lakes. The next assessment is scheduled to occur in April. Results are sent to Meredith.
  • The committee monitors and supports lakes’ compliance efforts, including lake surveys to make sure boats are in compliance with stickers and decals. The majority of member complaints regarding the lakes are compliance-related.

Board Director Questions

Christmas Trees at the Boat Ramps?

These trees are installed in the lakes with concrete blocks used to weigh the trees down. The Lakes Department tries to make a significant brush pile in the lake bottom. Some of the trees were not brought to the boat ramps immediately after Christmas. Fishing club volunteers also assist with this task.

Why is the DeSoto Lake Dredging Taking so Long?

They are nearly finished with dredging Lake DeSoto. Originally, two machines were performing the work. The large machine burned up a motor and is out of commission. The small machine has been completing the dredging.

CHERYL DOWDEN, Hot Springs Village People Gazette, March 17, 2022

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