Black Buoy Update!


Everyone that sails on Lake Harriet knows about the three black buoys on the lake. What no one seems to know, however, is who put them there, and why.

I've posted entries about the buoys in the past. The three large, unlit, unmarked cans, situated approximately as indicated on the maps above, are a hazard while sailing, especially at night. Several readers have asked if I could look into why they are there, so I did some checking.  I placed emails to the Minnesota DNR, the Hennepin County Sheriff water patrol, and the Minneapolis Parks and Lakes Board. Amazingly, no one knew who placed them, or why they were there. There was some thought that the USGS (US Geological Survey) may have placed them, but that turned out to be a dead end. It was (and is) a big mystery, but I made some good contacts with the very professional people at each organization as we investigated.

The MPLB was ready to attempt to pull them out in late October, when one day they just disappeared. No one knows where they went. We all assume that will be back next year. If you know anything about them, please drop a comment here.

NB -  The map above is for illustrative purposes only and not intended for navigation, or to definitively mark the locations of the buoys, either last year, or next. If you want to record them with your own GPS for your own use, feel free. 

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