KUTTAWA, Ky. – Three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rangers and a ranger intern spent the morning placing danger buoys on Lake Barkley, Aug. 14, 2024, to notify boaters of shallow water.
As summer winds down, the water levels on the lake are drawn down to winter pool of 354 feet, which is down from the summer pool level of 359 feet. This 5-foot difference can cause trouble for boaters who don’t realize that some areas of the lake become dangerously shallow.
One such area, where an old roadbed existed before the lake was established, is less than a foot deep in some spots.
Working together, they placed four new danger buoys along the stretch of the old roadbed to notify boaters to stay clear of the shallow water. This process involves cutting a length of steel cable and attaching it to a cement anchor on one end and to the plastic buoy on the other. Then, when the boat is in place, two rangers work together to toss the anchor and buoy overboard.
While rangers have a wide variety of duties on and around the lake, one of the most important, particularly in the warmer months, is ensuring boater safety.
“Labor Day weekend, the last holiday weekend of the boating season, lake levels are lower and we ask that people stay in the secondary and primary navigation channels, just so they don’t hit hazards out on the lake,” said David Landis, USACE ranger at Lake Barkley. “We also ask that you wear your life jacket, we ask that you have a throw cushion handy, and we ask that you wear your kill switch at all times while the boat is moving.”