Corps of Engineers Asking Dock Owners to Take Down Orange Ball Buoys

If you live on Lake Hartwell and have installed orange buoys around your dock, you may be getting a call from the Corps of Engineers if you haven’t received one already.

The Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, recently conducted an “Aids to Navigation” inspection on Hartwell Lake to inventory all buoys, shoal markers and other aids to navigation to ensure proper placement, working condition, and visibility.

The annual inspection plays a vital role in boater and water safety for the millions of visitors to Hartwell Lake, and this year numerous unauthorized orange ball buoys were discovered adjacent to private boat docks.

The orange ball buoys are primarily being installed by frustrated dock owners trying to keep wake boaters far enough away from their docks to prevent damage.

However, those buoys are not permitted unless the dock owner has a license, permit, or written permission from the Corps.

WLHR News recently spoke to DNR Law Enforcement officer Craig Fulghum regarding wake boaters and operators being respectful of docks and lakeside property.

“In Georgia, there’s a 100 ft law. You have to maintain a 100ft distance from all manmade structures, docks, people in the water, developed shoreline, and people fishing. If you get any closer you have to be idle speed or less. That’s as slow as your boat can go and still be in forward motion. Within that 100ft and you’re operating above idle speed and you cause damage to somebody or their property, you could be held civilly liable for that wake,” Fulghum explained.

Fulghum reminds boaters, especially those who are new to Lake Hartwell, to stay out on the big water and away from the coves.

“As more and more wake boats and ski boats in these tight channels, the more complaints we have,” he said. “If you’re going to use a wake boat or some form of a ski boat, you need to go out to these big wide areas where you have room to use that. Stay away from these tight areas because it’s just asking for trouble. The closer you get to other people the more problems we have. Lake Hartwell is a big body of water and on the south end, there’s a lot of room for you. Stay out of these tight channels away from people’s personal property.”

Meantime, the Corps is attempting to contact owners who have installed the unauthorized orange buoys to remind them and anyone on or around the lake, that orange ball buoys are subject to removal or impoundment.

However, prior to rangers impounding them, the Corps would like to ask those who have placed orange ball buoys in the water to remove them voluntarily.

Corps’ Park Rangers will be conducting follow-up inspections in the coming weeks and any unauthorized buoy found at that time will be removed.

For the safety of boaters and others, all boat operators are encouraged to familiarize themselves with local, state, and federal regulations.