Commission debates wakeboarding rules, cites water‑quality worries and proposes public hearing

Commissioners used the March 19 meeting to hold an extended discussion about wakeboarding and recreational use of Highland Lake, focusing on lake depth, dissipation distances, potential sediment resuspension and long‑term water quality.

Several commissioners said the lakes narrow bays and variable depth make wakeboarding problematic for some areas. One commissioner said the lakes water clarity has declined and noted a cyanobacteria bloom in October 2024 as part of the broader context for evaluating new or expanded wakeboarding activity. "If the quality of the lake is accelerated in its diminishment because wakeboarding boats are churning the lake bottom...then we are not being responsible to property value or anyone else's," a commissioner said.

Members proposed gathering more technical data (a tow pole/bathymetric survey and topo work) to identify deep parts of the lake where wake lanes might be viable, and several urged that the commission hold a public hearing before developing formal recommendations. One commissioner recommended a focused public hearing so community members can present views and evidence; another suggested the commission prepare a careful, evidence‑based set of recommendations to forward to the board of selectmen, acknowledging that enforcement and any final policy change would be the selectmens responsibility.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting. Commissioners agreed to consider a public hearing and to work toward a set of recommendations informed by topo and depth surveys, water‑quality data and public input.