New regulations to allow firearms, paddleboarding at Fellows Lake
Springfield's city council is considering various changes to the city utilities' Park and Recreation Rules — some of which would allow paddleboarding, ban water skiing, and remove a ban on firearms to comport with current state law.
These regulations would primarily affect Fellows Lake, Springfield's 860-acre body of fresh water that is also the city's primary source of drinking water. The need for regulatory changes became apparent over the past several years as residents taste recreational activities along Fellows Lake.
"Several years ago, City Utilities heard the community's desire for outdoor recreation activities and set upon a plan to raise the bar on the activities at our lakes..." said City Utilities Vice-President Steve Stodden at last week's city council meeting.
Growth in 'silent sports'
"We've really seen a huge growth and what we've called the 'silent sports.' You see more desire every day for kayaks, canoes, hiking and fishing. You can see from our trends we've been able to maintain our core group of community members who enjoy motorized boats on Fellows Lake, but have had huge growth in non-motorized permits."
According to data provided by City Utilities, the popularity of non-motorized lake boat permits overtook motorized boat permits in 2016. Skyrocketing over the past three years, more than 1,200 non-motorized permits have been issued, compared to approximately 700 motorized boat permits as of the end of last year.
According to Stodden, the allowance of paddleboarding is the most requested rule change that they hear from our community, while water skiing is "a seldom used activity."
"It's fairly impractical with the horsepower limit, the required driver, spotter and skier on board. Therefore this change aligns with our transition to the silent sports," he said.
The updates would also officially ban alcohol within the rules, even though an unofficial ban had already been enforced. Overnight camping will continue to be banned, but recreation vehicles will be allowed in designated parking spots during daytime operation of lake facilities.
Why the firearms ban is being lifted
While Springfield's lake facilities have had a ban on firearms since 1972, current state law allows for unpermitted open carry of firearms. Under the new regulations, the firearms ban will be lifted to stay in line with state statutes.
"You still may not brandish firearms ... in a threatening way. But people can have them as long as they are not using them in a way that's threatening any of the public," Stodden said
City council will vote on the regulatory changes at their Sept. 19 meeting.
Andrew Sullender is the local government reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow him on Twitter @andrewsullender. Email tips and story ideas to asullender@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: New regulations to allow firearms, paddleboarding at Fellows Lake
