The first weekend of summer was a very active time on Potter Lake. Many people enjoyed the water on the very warm and windy days. Unfortunately, several riparian owners have contacted us with concerns or complaints regarding unsafe behavior.
The Potter Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District is committed to preserving the health, safety, and enjoyment of Potter Lake for all. As part of this mission, boating rules have been established to help maintain, protect, and improve the quality of our lake. These rules are readily accessible and have been distributed in a variety of ways:
- Posted at the public boat landing
- Shared by our Clean Boats, Clean Waters volunteers to visitors headed onto the lake
- Provided at District meetings for many years
- Included in Welcome Committee packets given to new riparian property owners over the past 2–3 years
- A digital copy is also available via our website: https://www.potterslake.org/lake-rules.
Each riparian owner is responsible for ensuring that guests know the rules. We are all accountable for the safety of lake activities. Recent concerns were primarily related to speed limits and right-of-way:
Speed Limits
- Speeds are limited to 10 miles per hour from sunrise to 10:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to sunset on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
- Daily - after sunset, slow / no-wake. (“Slow-no-wake” means the slowest possible speed to maintain steerage.)
- At all other times, speeds will be reasonable and prudent with regard for the conditions existing at the time.
- SLOW - NO WAKE within 200 feet of shore or within 100 feet of piers, rafts, buoyed restricted areas, and anchored boats. This means operating your boat at the slowest possible speed while still maintaining steerage control. This speed is typically 5 mph or less.
- Personal watercraft (PWC) follow the same rules as motorboats except SLOW – NO WAKE within 200 feet of shore, piers, rafts, buoyed restricted areas and anchored boats and no operation from sunset to sunrise.
Right of Way
- Boats / PWCs may not be operated within 100 feet of another boat or person being towed.
- All boats / PWC must navigate in a counter-clockwise direction on weekends and holidays.
- Boats to the right have the right-of-way. Pass to the right. Motorboats must yield to non-motorized boats.
While the Lake District board members certainly empathize with problems and complaints, we cannot police or enforce rule infractions. If you observe a watercraft operating unlawfully or unsafely, contact the Town of East Troy Police Department at (262) 642-3700. Your complaint should describe the problem, including the date and time. If possible, you will want to include a picture or video of the boat or PWC with the registration number.
As you know, unsafe actions on a lake can have devastating consequences. We must all work together to inform our friends and neighbors of the rules, follow the rules on the water, and report unsafe and unlawful behavior promptly.
Sincerely,
Cathy Schulz, PLPRD Chairperson