Construction Information for Hazard Marker Buoys

For information on how to construct the pipe kind of Hazzard Marker Buoys like we use on Mississippi Lake, please click on

Hazzard Marker Buoy Construction

Marker Buoys Information

There were approximately 45 buoys placed at the beginning of this season to mark shoals and other hazards on the lake. A couple of buoys and anchors went missing during the summer. There are 19 in Big Lake, 12 in 3rd Lake (Ebbs Bay to Squaw Point), 10 from Lake Park to Carleton Place, one at Hunters Bay and two at Grasshopper Point. These are shown on the map that can be found by clicking on the following link (You may want to print out the map as some browsers tend to reduce the size on the screen):

Map of Mississippi Lake showing Marker Buoys (308kb)

These buoys are white cylinders weighted at the bottom and anchored in place. They are about 10 cm (4 ") diameter pipe-type buoys that stick straight up out of the water (there are also other larger barrel-type buoys and new red buoys used where conditions warrant extra visibility). All have visible reflective tape markings per Coast Guard guidelines.

As we saw this year again, a number of buoys go missing each year (some are destroyed, while others drift free and are not recovered), so replacements must be manufactured on an ongoing basis.

Marker buoys are intended to warn boaters to stay away from hazards. Larger shoals may have several buoys to indicate the large area of the shoal. Shallow areas near points of land are usually marked by a single buoy.

The MLA maintains hazard marker buoys to warn boaters away from natural hazards. Larger shoals may have several buoys to indicate the large area of the shoal. Shallow areas near points of land are usually marked by a single buoy. In all cases, stay well clear of the areas marked by these buoys, and never, ever drive between them! Please note that this information is intended to advise boaters that marker buoys have been placed. The Mississippi Lakes Association (MLA) accepts no responsibility for consequences that arise from missing buoys or for hazards not marked!

The MLA attempts to have markers in place by the May 24 long weekend, but as we found this year, due to weather and high water levels, we often are not able to complete the operation until conditions permit. Marker buoys are generally removed after the Thanksgiving weekend to avoid ice damage.

Volunteers place and remove these marker buoys every year and we sometimes look for extra people to assist. If you can give 3 or 4 hours of your time once or twice a year to assist in this activity, please contact Peter Elliott at 613-257-5362 or Ed Carew at 613-257-4715. Also, if you find any wayward marker buoys, please contact Peter, Ed or any of the other MLA directors.

Click to download image showing location of Buoys
Marker Buoys (308kb .jpg)

For photos of the "Three Amigos" picking up the marker buoys, please cleck on the following link.
2007 buoys pictures (8kb .jpg)