The Coast Guard announced Wednesday that unanticipated maintenance needs to its buoy-tending fleet has impacted availability of a portion of lighted seasonal buoys within the Great Lakes region.
Coast Guard Great Lakes District has prioritized the establishment of aids to navigation in waterways that support the flow of commerce and key commercial shipping channels.
The deployment of more remote, offshore buoys has been delayed.
While these operational challenges do not impact the smaller buoys routinely used by recreational boaters, several of the larger approach buoys relied upon by mariners have yet to be deployed.
The public is urged to use the relevant Local Notice to Mariners at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/msi for the most up-to-date information and to ensure safety and situational awareness on the water.
Any buoys not yet deployed are currently listed in the Local Notice to Mariners as:
– MISSING: Indicates that no seasonal buoy has been deployed.
– EXTINGUISHED: Indicates that an unlighted buoy remains in place of the lighted buoy.
The Coast Guard reviews these notifications weekly to ensure information is current and accurate.
Additional seasonal buoys will continue to be deployed as operational capabilities allow.
For more information, contact the Great Lakes External Affairs Office at 216-902-6020 or via email at D9PublicAffairs@uscg.mil.