The north ski area is a popular spot for many Canyon Lake water sports enthusiasts. Photo by Canyon Lake Insider.The Canyon Lake POA Board of Directors on Tuesday approved a 28-day reading for a new rule that prohibits wakesurfing on the slalom course at the north ski area.
During the August 4 board meeting, a discussion was held on a proposed set of additional rules related to the use of the north ski area. The rules were intended to formalize the unwritten rules that generally governed the use of both the slalom course and the backwater.
While these areas have been used successfully for decades, the growth in the number of users, types of boats, and related water sports have resulted in higher levels of damage to the ski course and unsafe conditions during high use periods.
A number of public comments were received during the discussion, including the need for formal rules, suggestions on how to improve the useability of the areas, and the need to accommodate new water sports.
Board President Chris Poland declared his intention to appoint and lead a task force of community members to develop and recommend a set of rules regulating the use of the areas that honor their primary use and the developing needs of the other uses. The task force was planned to be comprised of representatives of the water sports clubs and community members.
Volunteers were sought and 56 members were recommended or responded by email and in the process offered their opinions about the pending rules. Given the volume of information received and the diversity of users, Poland decided that a task force would not be convened and directed the board to focus on the need for additional rules that will preserve and protect the current activities.
On Tuesday, the board determined that the need to protect the ski course requires that wakesurfing be limited to the backwater beyond the no-wake buoys. The board also determined that rules related to safe operation and polite use need to be established by guidelines and posted on new signs at the launch ramp, the competition ski dock, and at the entrance to the backwater. These guidelines will formalize the unwritten rules that now exist.
