Corps of Engineers Completes Hartwell Lake Buoys Inspection

A year ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, announced plans to inspect the waters of Lake Hartwell for unauthorized orange buoys, placed near docks by property owners to keep wake boats away.

On Thursday, the Corps announced their annual “Aids to Navigation” inspection on Hartwell Lake has ended.

The Corps took an inventory of all buoys, shoal markers, and other navigational aids to ensure proper placement, working condition, and visibility of those markers.

Corps spokeswoman Cheri Pritchard said rangers discovered numerous unauthorized orange ball buoys adjacent to private boat docks.

Both Georgia and South Carolina have increased their wakeboarding and wake surfing distance from 100ft to within 200ft of a shoreline or a moored boat or dock.

Rep. Alan Powell, a Republican from Hartwell, told Georgia Public Broadcasting in March that he wished the restrictions went as far as 300 feet, but welcomed the legislation as “a good first step” amid the sports’ increasing popularity.

Powell said at the time people wakeboarding or wake surfing on Hartwell Lake need to use common sense and not destroy someone else’s property.

Pritchard said the annual Corps inspection plays a vital role in boater and water safety for the millions of visitors to Hartwell Lake.

Corps officials remind dock owners orange ball buoys are considered unauthorized structures subject to removal or impoundment.

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

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

For more information, contact the Hartwell Lake Office toll-free at 888-893-0678, ext. 0352. Save a life – Wear a life jacket – Boat Safely.