by James Coulter
Planning on heading down to the lake to drive your boat or take a dip? Not so fast! Some lakes will soon have designated areas where swimmers can come in and where boats need to stay out.
At their regular meeting on Tues. May 20, 2025 Designated Swim Areas and Vessel Exclusion Zones were approved for Lakes Winterset, Clinch, and Ariana. “Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted on an ordinance and resolution that will allow them to create designated swim areas and vessel exclusion zones in certain portions of certain lakes.
First, county commissioners voted unanimously to approve an ordinance that would repeal and restate the Polk County Waterway Protection Code, amending and updating the code to clarify language and to create authority to establish designated swim areas and vessel exclusion zones.
Next, they voted unanimously to approve a resolution to establish designated swim areas and vessel exclusion zones in certain portions of Lake Winterset, Lake Clinch, and Lake Ariana.
“Because of the potential dangers created by boats operating near swimmers, Polk County desires to designate swim areas on portions of Lake Winterset, Lake Clinch, and Lake Ariana and set these areas aside as vessel exclusion zones,” wrote Randall Vogel, Assistant County Attorney.
Many residents took to the podium during public comments to voice their opinions about these changes. While some lauded the commissioners for addressing problems concerning boaters, others raised concerns about the swim areas attracting trespassers.
“These people, the folks out out there, they don’t care about signs, they don’t care about nothing,” said Kirk Boyett, a resident who lives on the west side of Lake Winterset. “They get out into other people’s yards…and I don’t want them people in my backyard.”
“We don’t have any issues with people swimming in our backyard, but our concern is if you make this a designated swim area, they will be driving down our private roads, walking through our yards to go to the swim areas,” said resident Jimmy Deets. “It happens across the lake from us, and it’s going to happen where we are.”
However, one resident, Scott Short, claimed these changes would help alleviate problems with some boaters. He mentions how up to 14 to 15 boats will drive to the lakes with people who get drunk and do not respect local laws.
“We recognize we have a very serious problem on Lake Winterset,” he said. “Nobody wants this type of problem behind our house. Nobody wants that problem behind their house. So we need this ordinance. It is very, very needed.”
Commissioner Bill Braswell expressed his intent to support the ordinance. He dismissed any concerns about the designated swim zones attracting unwanted guests to the lake who will trespass on private property. 
“What would more likely happen [without this ordinance] is that they [swimmers] are forced out of one place and go to your place and that would be much worse than you,” Braswell said. “They have the whole lake to swim in. They will not swim in your place.”
Commissioner Rick Wilson mentioned how he has frequented the lakes many times and seen for himself the problems with boaters and swimmers that these designated swim areas and vessel exclusion zones will help mitigate.
“We need to give law enforcement an opportunity to help stop some of this stuff in these areas,” he said. “So, I will be supporting this without a problem.”
