My Thoughts on Channel Markers / Aids To Navigation Beacons & Buoys,
Background: Around Lake Maurepas there has been channel markers as far back as most of us can remember. Some had a red or green beacon on them. Some were (are) just red or green signs telling the intelligent boater where to be and not to be. This made it easier to find your way back to a tributary when you were coming off the lake at night and avoid shallow water. The beacons were (are) locate at Amite River, Tickfaw River, Pass Manchac, Reserve Canal, Blind River, etc.
If you are not all that aware of Channel Markers and what they mean, check this out:
click here to learn all about channel markers
The beacons were (are) maintained by The U.S. Coast Guard. (I have a funny story about the Coast Guard, catch me out and about and I will tell you about it). I have an even funnier story about LA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries. I will tell you that one, too, but it might cost you a beer! Back on subject......
"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got, 'til its gone?" One day, a bunch of us woke up and our channel markers / beacons were G-O-N-E!!!! Not just the cute little red or green sign, not the solar power light and battery, the poles and pilings were gone, too. Everything without a trace. Eventually it was determined that The U.S. Coast Guard was responsible for the removal. I've heard different things, but it seems that they did a long study and determined we do not have a lot of commercial traffic and no longer meet the requirement. Commercial traffic, NOT recreational boaters, which we have tons of. The Coast Guard said it would take another long study (years) to determine if there might be a need to put them back. YUCK!
Many of the boat clubs, waterway commission, boaters, politicians, business / land owners on the water, etc. protested. These aids to navigation being removed was a boater safety problem. Dangerous, even more so with all the silting occurring at the mouth's of our tributaries.
Still, keep in mind The Coast Guard provides these in areas with a lot of commercial traffic and we do not fit this criteria. Check out their questionnaire about channel markers, if you do not know what I mean: click here (Got the answers??? I don't even understand the questions).
Here is where I come in with my thoughts: Looking back, we all have great vision. I would have preferred The Coast Guard NOT remove the channel markers / buoys, just like everyone else. However, if they were going to discontinue maintenance and upkeep, why not turn them over to the respective parish? It cost a lot of money to send boats out there and remove EVERYTHING, poles, pilings, etc. It cost even more to go and put it all back with new stuff.
Again, I just finished a map of Lake Palourde, Lake Verret, and surround waterways, near Morgan City, Pierre Part. They also do NOT meet The Coast Guard's requirement for commercial traffic. However, the parish put aids to navigation beacons out at the tributaries and maintains them. I have no data, but I doubt that Assumption, St Martin, and St Mary parishes has nearly the tax revenue coming in that Livingston / Ascension Parish has.
I say all that to make a point. If The Coast Guard goes to remove any more of the remaining channel markers, I hope the parish will, at least, approach them about NOT removing them and transferring operation to the respective parish, boat clubs, etc.
We have meeting that is about to happen. It is Thursday, July 9th, at The Maritime Museum in Madisonville at 5:00 PM. Click here for Crazy Charlie's Flyer I am not a conspiracy theorist, but could they have made it anymore difficult for regular working people to attend? Why Madisonville, when the buoys are on Lake Maurepas. Why 5:00 PM on a work day? Still, I had doubted we would ever get this far. I think a power boat running aground recently (very shallow water and no channel markers) and a young lady getting hurt had a little something to do with it. I know a particular "Crazy Skipper" that might have had something to do with making this meeting happen.
The Coast Guard are NOT the bad guys. They have rules, criteria, regulations, and red tape to follow, just everyone else with the federal government. They do NOT want to see anyone get hurt. We need a lot of good and intelligent people at this meeting. Screaming, yelling, threatening, and protesting only works if you are affiliated with ACORN. We don't need that. What we need is our channel markers back and YOU at this meeting to help make it happen. We need more people to get involved where our waterways are concerned. See you there!
We really need to look forward AND have our channel markers marked even better than they were on our major tributaries.
Markers like this (and a lot of them) would be a huge help showing a safe path (channel). All it takes is money, time, some organization and effort, and boaters that care.
Last, please be safe. We are having a horrible year and more deaths in Louisiana than I think I have ever seen (drowning, boat accidents). Designate a responsible skipper, consider formal boater education, wear your kill switch, life jacket, slow down, think, be careful, and watch for idiots.
See you soon and remind me to tell you those jokes, (when The Coast Guard AND Wildlife and Fisheries are NOT around).
