Our names are Michael and Linda Plodwick. We are writing in support of maintaining water ski hours as they currently stand.
Linda’s family has owned property on the Chain (Columbia Lake) since the 1930s. Her parents bought a house on Round Lake in the mid-1980s and my wife and I purchased our home on Round Lake in 1994. Our families have always owned homes on the “speed lakes” and are avid water ski and water sports fans.
Having said that, we are vehemently opposed to increasing the water ski hours by 16 hours per week.
Where did this groundswell to increase the water skiing hours originate? We have spent a significant portion of the summer on the Chain over the past 30 years and have not heard one complaint about water skiing hours. In fact, we have heard the opposite. The major complaint is that jet-ski hours need to be contained. We do agree that wake-boarding needs to be prohibited. Our lakes just aren’t big enough to shoulder the severe churning of the water this particular sport creates. All shore-owners have suffered from the resulting increased erosion, as well as the additional expense of rip-rapping our shoreline.
We feel fortunate to own property on a “speed” lake, and appreciate the advantage of being able to enjoy water sports from our own docks. However, these properties tend to be valued accordingly, so we pay far and away the highest property taxes on the Chain. To impose a virtually “Dawn to Dusk” water skiing policy robs us of any daylight quiet time which, quite frankly, is unfair.
Adding to that last point, this proposal would negatively impact the people who prefer the “quiet” water sports – fishing, canoeing, paddle-boarding, kayaking, wind-surfing and sailing. The serenity of quiet evenings on the Chain would be decimated.
The Chain is a beautiful and unique natural resource. Placing even more boating pressure on this already crowded “jewel” would be shortsighted at best and damaging at worst.
In conclusion, we strongly believe everything is fine the way it is. To quote Yogi Berra, “If it ain’t broke, don’t break it.”
Mike and Linda Plodwick
Round Lake