By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
In this month’s Q&A, Lane Rumelhart, Lake Panorama Association (LPA) projects manager, shares some interesting statistics and key reminders for LPA members.
Q. Boats have been a hot topic lately, specifically boat density and wake boats. How many boats does Lake Panorama currently support, and how many of those are wake boats?
A. So far in 2025, LPA has registered 1,276 vessels at 10 horsepower or more, and 433 personal water craft (PWC). This totals a little more than 1,700 vessels at 10 horsepower or higher. Each LPA membership is allowed two vessels at 10 horsepower or more.
LPA currently has approximately 1,700 voting memberships. Of course, not every membership will own two vessels, or even one vessel. But, if every membership decided to max out their allotment, LPA could issue over 3,400 stickers on any given year. Right now, we’re half that number.
Of the 1,276 registered boats that are 10 horsepower or higher, 167 members marked their vessel as a wake boat when applying for their boat stickers this year. This means 13% of boats, or 10% of all watercraft over 10 horsepower when you include PWCs, are wake boats.
LPA has received questions about wake boats and if any rules or regulations are being developed to limit these vessels due to their ability to cause a large wake. Some claims have been made that wake boats are damaging the lake bottom.
It’s important to remember Lake Panorama exists because of a dam on the Middle Raccoon River. It is not a freshwater lake like Clear Lake, Spirit Lake or Okoboji. Lake Panorama’s bottom is almost entirely sediment, creating a ‘dead zone’ that can’t be disturbed much worse than it already is.
The topics of boating safety, boat density and wake boat operation all are scheduled for review by the water safety committee this fall. We will have more information for the membership on these topics as we wrap up the 2025 boating season and plan ahead for the 2026 boating season.
Q. How many homes are at Lake Panorama now, and how many homes can it support?
A. There currently are 1,167 homes within the Lake Panorama community. The LPA Bylaws allow up to 1,800 homes. With the number of combined lots, and the many areas LPA owns to control drainage, infrastructure or other utility functions, it is unlikely LPA will ever reach that maximum capacity of 1,800.
While we’re talking about interesting Lake Panorama statistics, here’s another one. LPA is currently staffed with approximately the same number of people as 25 years ago. As Lake Panorama has progressed, LPA management and the LPA board of directors have managed increased demands with the same number of employees.
Q. In the early morning hours of June 24, the level of Lake Panorama dropped unexpectedly. Remind us why this occurred, and if there are reasons to think this could happen again.
A. The lake level dropped about 18 inches below normal pool. This happened because the lake dam experienced a malfunction in its control system that caused the dam gate to lower and discharge a substantial amount of water. This malfunction was corrected around 4:30 a.m. that morning.
The system that controls the dam includes hydraulic, electrical, computer and human elements to function. This malfunction was related to the electrical system that periodically corrects for hydraulic cylinder drift. LPA is fortunate to have staff with many years of experience and great relationships with long-time vendors to act quickly when things like this occur.
This did highlight the fact that while LPA has many years of experience, we also have lots of infrastructure that needs regular maintenance. It should be noted the dam is just one of many key pieces of infrastructure that are integral to LPA thriving. Also, several employees account for nearly a century of specialized experience. As LPA plans for our continued success, we are looking both at infrastructure upgrades and succession planning for key positions.
This is a good opportunity to remind the LPA membership we will begin lowering the lake level Oct. 1. Repairs at the dam are expected to begin in mid-October and will include replacement of the cylinders, as well as some minor patching and repair to the concrete spillway.
The dam cylinders have lived well beyond their life expectancy, and now a few other components of the dam are nearing their end as well. LPA is taking action this fall to replace all outdated infrastructure during the drawdown and make the most of the opportunity while the water level is low.
Q. Fall and winter are fast approaching. Do you have any reminders for members as the summer season comes to a close?
A. Please be sure areas around your mailboxes and the street edge are cleaned up, and there are no obstructions. Once snow hits, our plow drivers won’t be able to see what is covered.
If you have LPA potable water shutoffs on your property, make sure these are not covered with landscaping. Finding these in the winter can be challenging if members disguise these too effectively for aesthetic purposes.
Members should refresh themselves on brush dump rules. We only accept material under 12 inches in diameter, organic material grown on member lots, and no dirt or root balls.
Burning of leaves may be done on a member’s property, but NOT in the ditch or on LPA property. Also, do not blow or rake your leaves into the ditch and leave them there. All that does is cause you and your neighbors problems by clogging up road culverts. Do not put your leaves in the lake, either. Those eventually turn to sediment and create depth issues.
Q. We see the LPA office got a new coat of paint recently. Was the color choice made by committee?
A. No, I chose it. The color is Canyon Clay and if anyone thinks they could pick a better color to match the mismatched yellow and red brick underneath, they can pick next time. Jeremy Riggen Painting did it for us. We are pleased and think it is an upgrade from the faded yellow.