Public speaks out against proposed limits on Sympson Lake recreation use
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, 11:45 p.m. — It was standing room only at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Bardstown City Council with most people in attendance to voice opposition to plans to curtail recreational uses of Sympson Lake.
WAYNE KENDALL
The reason for the change is to simply protect the lake’s water quality, Mayor Bill Sheckles said.
Wayne Kendall, the chief operator of the city’s water treatment plant, explained to the council and the audience the challenges the lake presents as the county’s main water supply.
The lake has too much phosphorus, and phosphorus can lead to algae bloom, which impacts the quality and taste of treated water supplied to the county. Phosphorus enters the lake primarily through run-off from fertilizers used in agriculture and lawn care. After it enters the lake it settles with silt in the bottom of the lake.
Recreation uses of the lake creates turbulence that stirs up the water, particularly by speed boats, water skiers and jet skis, Kendall explained. The wakes also create erosion on the shorelines, which brings more silt and phosphorus into the lake.
“The City spends $350,000 a year just for chemicals to treat the raw water,” he said. “And it’s getting more difficult every year.”
If the phosphorus-rich sediment isn’t disturbed, it stays at the bottom of the lake and doesn’t cause as many problems.
“We don’t want to eliminate all the activity on the lake,” Kendall explained. “But there’s a lot of activity at the lake we can’t control.”
Tom Bishoff is the lake’s closest neighbor and asked the council to work with recreational boaters to preserve the lake for recreational uses.
Several members of the audience spoke against any plan that will reduce recreation use of the lake.
Tom Bishoff, whose property is near the lake, said he is one of a group who has been using the lake for recreational boating for 50 years.
“Let’s do some things and try to work together to get this lake to work better,” he said, suggesting boating speed limits or time limits for use of the lake are options that may help the water quality.
“It’s a beautiful lake to enjoy, and we want to continue to enjoy it — but we want to help too,” Bishoff said.
The council members were not ready to put the measure to a vote Tuesday night.
Councilman Francis Lydian suggested a study of the lake’s condition might help the council understand the problem. He asked the council to consider tabling the measure to allow more time to examine the problem.
Councilman Bobby Simpson highlighted the lack of enforcement for the lake’s existing rules.
“We can pass all the rules we want to up here, if they are not enforced we haven’t done anything,” he said. “I can’t see making more rules you aren’t going to enforce.”
Sheckles said limiting the use of the lake to daylight hours would be something that could be enforced. He said he didn’t want to curtail the uses of the lake, but he had to consider the big picture of the lake as the main water supply for the community.
Councilman John Royalty displays a series of photographs he took while on Sympson Lake recently, showing the dissipation of the boat’s wake. Click to enlarge.
“In the big scheme of things, the council has to decide if it is more important to have a good quality water source, or is it more important for somewhere two or three months of the year to have recreational use on the lake,” he said.
The council agreed to table the proposed ordinance and take it up in the water and sewer committee headed by Councilman John Royalty. Interested members of the public will be asked to attend the meeting to seek their input to determine a fair and equitable way to protect the lake.
Check the Nelson County Gazette for information on time and date of the Water & Sewer Committee meeting to discuss the proposed ordinance.
“There’s got to some compromise,” Sheckles said. “I’m giving everybody the opportunity to help us preserve our No. 1 water source for this community.”
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