The Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners Association Board (not the full membership) wants to eliminate motorized boating on 7 percent of Lake Tippecanoe and further restrictions on Little Tippy, based on the input of only 14 individuals at a meeting attended by only 28! For reference, there are about 725 LTPO members and over 1,600 Tippy residents.
These restrictions would eliminate motorized boating on 48 acres - of the 707-acre lake - on the east end of Tippy (adjacent to the Ball Wetlands) and additional acreage on the west side of Little Tippy. The only access would be by row boats, canoes, paddle boats, boats using only electric trolling motors, and there would be no anchoring (such as for fishing) in these areas.
The stated purpose of these "Ecozones" is to control "nuisance weed and algae" by attempting to allow native vegetation to re-establish in these areas. In discussing this issue, the "Lake Tippecanoe Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan" states, "It is theorized that if native vegetation is allowed to establish that this will help filter nutrients and floating algae thus preventing this species from creating nuisance conditions." There is no scientific data to show that restricting motorized boating will actually achieve the stated goals, yet the LTPO Board wants to restrict your use of the lake based only on theory and to essentially use Tippy as a test - while keeping you from lawfully unrestricted boating! Meanwhile, the DNR is funding a "test plot" in the same area where they will attempt to get some of the "native vegetation" (not yet planted) to grow. This is further evidence that there is no scientific data to show that the proposed ecozone will work. If the data existed there wouldn't be the need for the "test plots."
This is not just an LTPO issue, since of the 13 board members of Tippecanoe Environmental Lake and Watershed Foundation Board, 10 are also LTPO board members, and they likely want to do the same things on other lakes in the Tippecanoe watershed - Dewart Lake, Lake Webster, the Barbee Lakes, etc., and therefore it also seriously impacts all who enjoy boating or fishing on any of these lakes.
There is a public meeting to discuss the above proposal for ecozones on Tippy on June 2 at 9:30 a.m. at the North Webster Community Center. Be there to make your voice be heard.
