US Army Corps of Engineers’ Operations Project Manager for Lake Lanier Tim Rainey made a wise decision that will affect nighttime navigation on Lake Lanier.
The Corps will allow solar-powered lights on some navigation markers and buoys.
Tim isn’t always quick to make up his mind on difficult questions. That’s good because people who make hasty decisions are often the first to regret them.
For almost a dozen years, the Corps has declined requests to install such aids to navigation on Lanier. Primary concerns were accident liability, maintenance and replacement of lights, etc.
Joanna Cloud and the non-profit Lake Lanier Association (LLA), among others, were able to convince the Corps to agree to a small start — 11 lights around the lake as a pilot project.
In a conversation with lakelanier.com on June 25, 2013, Joanna Cloud said she believes the project will be a victory for all who enjoy the lake after dark.
Mr. Rainey sounds positive too, “We’re going to agree to it, even with the increased liability that it brings, but it will be up to the Lake Lanier Association to maintain the lights. If one of the markers goes down, we’ll put it back up. That [will be] our contribution.”
Lake Lanier President Val Perry is also hopeful. He said the first navigation lights will be placed by the end of 2013 in an area south of Browns Bridge, near the border of Hall and Forsyth counties.
Lighted navigation buoys cannot prevent crashes or accidents, but they help boaters find their way in the dark instead of wandering aimlessly around the lake at night. Fishermen will appreciate the markers too.
The Corps will rely on the LLA to supply funding and volunteers to keep the project’s lights on.
As the project expands, Val Perry hopes to install lights on bridges in order to help boaters know which is the best lane under a span.
We are thankful for all those whose perseverance and cooperation that made this decade-old dream a reality.
