Night Navigation Lights Coming for Lake Lanier

In another move oriented toward boater safety, nighttime navigation lights will be installed on some markers and buoys around Lake Lanier.

A blog post on lakelanier.com noted that Tim Rainey of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made the decision after input from the non-profit Lake Lanier Association.

For years, the corps has declined requests to install such aids to navigation on Lanier, the post noted. Primary concerns were such things as accident liability, maintenance and replacement of lights.

But now comes a change  — 11 lights around the lake as a pilot project.

Said Rainey: ”We’re going to agree to it, even with the increased liability that it brings, but it will be up to the Lake Lanier Association to maintain the lights. If one of the markers goes down, we’ll put it back up. That (will be) our contribution.”

Lake Lanier President Val Perry said the first navigation lights will be placed by the end of 2013 in an area south of Browns Bridge, near the border of Hall and Forsyth counties.

A high-profile boating tragedy occurred at night on Lanier in June 2012. A boating collision took the lives of Griffin and Jake Prince of Buford.

-- How do you feel about boater safety on Lake Lanier? Tell us in the comments below.

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