Safety rules for Lake Sherwood

1. The only acceptable traffic pattern around the main lake is counterclockwise . Unless you are picking up a skier, which should be a local maneuver, please follow this rule. This rule should also be followed in going around jungle island, which is in the bay, just south of Commerce Rd and just West of Ledgewood. A number of near misses have occurred as a result of people violating this convention.

2. All boaters and PWCers need to follow the no wake rule , except on the main lake, when over 100 ft. from shore. An especially sensitive area is on the North side of Commerce, where significant erosion of the banks has been traced to boaters going at wake-producing speeds. But, for the safety of all the Lake Sherwood Homeowners and preservation of the shoreline, please practice this rule throughout Lake Sherwood.

3. Life Jackets should be worn at all times by skiers, tubers, and wake boarders . Several instances where this hasn't been practiced have been observed on the lake. There is any one of several reasons that could cause a person to be injured while involved in these activities, and a minor injury could result in a major injury or death if the injured party does not have a life vest on.

4. There was a steel u-bracket , which was pounded into the ground, many years ago to tie the buoy, which signals the location of the sunken island , which is just Northeast of Ski Island, which is near the center of the main lake. This bracket, which is still used, broke/corroded to the extent that there is now an L-bracket, which is used to tie-off the buoy, and a separate steel spike, which is less than 30 inches from the L-bracket. This spike is sharp and dangerous for people who are walking in that area. Please do not tie your boat off to the buoy, as boaters should not obscure the buoy, and do not anchor in the neighborhood of that buoy, or walk around on the sunken island. You could damage your boat, when the lake level is down, or worse, you could cut your feet badly if you happen upon that spike. Your homeowner's association has made several attempts to remove that spike, but to no avail, but please bear with us and follow this rule until we find a practical way of removing the spike, and please notify me if you have an idea for removing it. On another note, traffic on the main lake, especially for boats that are pulling skiers, can be impeded and/or safety problems can result with people parking on that sunken island, as it is right in the middle of a major traffic lane on the lake. For that reason, anchoring anywhere on the sunken island is discouraged, generally.

5. Docking lights , not to be confused with running lights, can be a safety hazard as these lights can blind other boaters. Please, only use these lights when docking.

6. Speeding at night , even on the main lake, is strongly discouraged as our lake is not big enough to speed in a safe and prudent manner, even with no other boaters on the lake.