Hustisford Lake Association plans boating safety project

By Pat Hahn for the Daily Times
Thursday, August 9, 2007 12:47 PM CDT

As part of the group's ongoing efforts at improving boating safety, the Lake Sinissippi Association is asking for help in identifying and marking positions of underwater rocks which pose safety hazards in the lake.

Three years ago LSA hired an excavator to relocate rocks previously identified as posing a safety hazard at the Neider Park boat launch in the village of Hustisford. Some, but not all of those rocks, were moved out of the launch channel, but LSA said more work is needed.

Saturday morning project chairman Bill Dionne and LSA members Terry Burge, Merlin Pieper and Gary Knipper worked to identify additional rocks as well as safe passageway from the Neider Park ramp. “This is just the first phase of a LSA rock program,” Dionne said. “We have lots more to accomplish.”

Plans are to transfer rocks that are in hazardous areas to a location closer to shore, away from boat traffic, using a barge and crane. The work will be scheduled depending upon barge availability.

LSA has marked hazards with safety buoys each year, but now is requesting lake residents to help. Boaters should mark rocks they have located with milk bottles and contact any LSA board member with the rock's location. “We sent out over 750 maps and letters to residents, asking for assistance in hazard identification, but we received very little response,” Knipper said. “We're hoping all lake residents and boaters will join us in our efforts to make the lake a safer environment for all of us.”

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The rock location project, as well as all other Lake Sinissippi Association improvement activities, is funded by LSA membership dues and donations.