CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard announced Wednesday that it will not be setting seasonal buoys 37 through 85 in the Upper St. Louis River above Clough Island in the vicinity of Spirit Lake, at the western edge of Lake Superior.
Because of severe shoaling and lower than normal lake levels, reducing water depths to less than 2 feet in many places, the channel is considered very dangerous to navigate.
The minimum depth the Coast Guard will set buoys is 6 feet of water. Placing buoys in this location with the current conditions could mislead boaters into shallow water. The seasonal buoys placed in this area are normally set in late April every year.
The Coast Guard will be placing signs at public access locations and marinas warning boaters of this danger.
