Back in 1959, 50 years ago, the Association made a rule against Guest Boats on the lake. The Rule was founded on established law and also on the established fact that Orange Lake is accessed only through private property. To put it another way, there is no public access to Orange Lake.

It was then (and still is) the position of our Association that to protect the lake against an onslaught of public access, our homeowners should not allow others to bring outside boats onto the lake. It was felt that to do so would result in the perception by the public that the lake is open to the public and that would result in overuse of the lake.

You are all aware that Orange Lake is small. It is just a big pond. In fact, before it was known as “Orange Lake” it was called a Machen’s Pond. Now, with the current increased use of jet skis and other personal water craft, its not hard to envision a situation where our use and enjoyment of the lake will be greatly diminished if, for example, 20 crafts are using the lake at one time. And that is very likely to happen if those of us having lake rights permit ‘out of area’ and guest boats.

There are some other practical reasons for the No Guest Boat Rule. First, we want to keep our lake clean and we don’t want crafts coming in from the Hudson River, the Esopus and other bodies of water, which might bring in foreign plant or animal life that will grow and spread in our lake. Also, we want to know who is using the lake for our own protection and for our own safety. We want to be assured that the boats on the lake are legally registered and contain the proper safety equipment and are insured in the event of an accident and that is most likely to be the case when the boats on the lake are owned by those of us who have lake rights.

Also, people coming in from the outside, who may be here for just a few hours, who probably do not know us or care about out welfare or our quality of life, are more likely to operate their crafts in an unsafe and noisy manner. These are just some of the reasons for the No Guest Boat rule. But our biggest fear is overuse and the resulting increased risk of accidents. If that happens, the Town of Newburgh officials may, in the future, either with or without our input, ban the use of either some or all powered watercrafts and the Town has the absolute right to regulate the use of watercraft on Orange Lake.

The Orange Lake Homeowners Association wants you and your guests to use and enjoy Orange Lake. That’s why we all live here — to share our backyard water with our family and our friends.

Now, here is what your Association as asking of you … First, when someone asks your permission to launch their boat or jet ski to the lake, simply tell them that the Lake Association has a rule against outside boats and you are obligated to follow the rule. As an alternative, you can allow them to use your boat or craft.

Secondly, we need YOU to enforce the rule. If you see your neighbor permitting a guest boat, please ask your neighbor if the person has lake rights and ask them if whether he or she is aware of the No Guest Boat rule established by the Association. You can also report it to a member of the Board of Directors and we will send that person a letter. Unfortunately, there is no other way to enforce this rule. We truly need to rely on peer pressure. By following and enforcing the No Guest Boat Rule you will be making a big contribution to continued pleasurable and safe and peaceful use of the lake for yourself and for your neighbors, your children and future generations.

Thank you for your cooperation.