DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, will host a dedication ceremony for a rip currents warning signal near its Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minn.
The public is welcome to join the Corps and local partners when they hold the dedication at the site of the newly installed signal flag at the south pier near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge near South Lake Avenue, May 30.
Event: Flag dedication
When: Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Time: 9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (Central Time)
Where: South Pier near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge near South Lake Avenue
Who: Duluth Fire Department, Minnesota Sea Grant and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
This observance highlights the installation of a rip current flag pole located by an access point to the Minnesota Point Beach where it is hoped to help save lives.
Located on the South Pier close by Canal Park near the lift bridge, this warning flag will be visible from the road and give anyone traveling to Minnesota Point information on the current conditions so they can take the necessary precautions.
Rip currents are strong, narrow channels of water flowing away from shore that can take swimmers out into the larger lake, people often panic and become weary, and many (even accomplished swimmers) have lost their lives throughout the Great Lakes.
To facilitate this warning flag, the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center personnel applied for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Handshake Partnership Funds” to add the rip current signal flag on Corps property and to create a rip current information kiosk in the visitor center lobby. The information kiosk in the visitor center lobby will display information from www.parkpointbeach.org.This Website allows visitors access to up-to-date weather and beach conditions.
The Corps of Engineers welcomes opportunities to work together with neighbors and local communities who share common goals and interests in conserving public resources. The Corps partnered with the City of Duluth Fire Department and Minnesota Sea Grant to obtain some funding and entered into a cooperative agreement with these entities. Minn. Sea Grant is providing interpretive panels about rip currents and the Duluth Fire Department will change the signal flags as appropriate.
The Corps’ Natural Resources Management -- Handshake Partnership Program: Handshake funds combined with funding from local Corps projects and their partners’ contributions benefit the community by improving our environment and providing additional recreation opportunities.
Partnering helps to accomplish mission objectives in everything from wildlife protection and habitat improvement to recreational facility enhancements and customer service. Working together can help ensure these lands and waters continue to meet the needs of the public and the nation. The Corps’ Handshake Partnership Program is an example of one opportunity.
The program provides a financial incentive to Corps facilities to engage with their local communities to complete worthwhile projects that benefit public lands. From 2004 to 2018, the Corps’ Headquarters has provided over $2.8 million in “seed money” to Corps facilities for 178 partnership projects to improve recreational opportunities and benefit environmental stewardship activities on Corps managed lands and waters. Partners have responded by generously donating more than $8.2 million in volunteer hours, professional services, materials and supplies, equipment, and funds to these efforts.
More information about Rip Currents: http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/coastal_communities/rip
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