I must commend Parks and Recreation for holding Zoom meetings to engage the public to hear their suggestions for changes and improvements to the Lake Nighthorse experience. The meetings were well organized, with over a hundred participants in each of the two meetings.
There is clear evidence the public was listened to in that there will be an additional launch ramp to help alleviate the congestion at the current boat launch. There is a slightly increased wakeless zone around the perimeter of the lake and there will be a return to pre-COVID-19 hours with added earlier and later hours of operation from June to September.
Unfortunately, the wakeless hours have been reduced from all day Monday and Wednesday to mornings only until 10 a.m. Monday/Wednesday/Friday. It is still baffling to many of the quiet lake users (who comprise 50% of the lake users) that the power boat users, who comprise 5%, seem to be dictating the schedule. Sixty-eight percent of respondents to the Lake Nighthorse survey wanted an increase in wakeless hours.
As for the slight increase in the wakeless zone, I have yet to see a wake wave stop at a buoy and not enter a wakeless zone. In the initial meetings of 2010 we all agreed to share the lake and that has occurred.
However, some seem to have more of a share than others.
Jim CrossDurango
