The Winnebago County Parks Department crew repaired and refurbished another set of navigation buoys this winter (replacing reflective tape, patching dents, replacing lights, etc). This 3-4 year process to restore all buoys managed by Winnebago County began in 2019. The Parks Department chose to refurbish the existing buoys because it is more affordable than buying new buoys and the old buoys seem to be built better than newer options.
The county owns an inventory of one hundred and twenty one (121) lit and unlit buoys that are annually placed out on the surrounding lakes. In order to facilitate this service each year the county dedicated over $110,000 to install, maintain and remove these fixtures. In addition to the county’s maintaining the navigational aids system, the Sheriff’s Department appropriates approximately $40,000, along with state grants, towards operating its boat patrol.
By this weekend (3/27/2021), the buoys will be in the water on Lake Poygan, Lake Winneconne and Lake Butte des Morts. Photos of the buoys and repair process were provided by Winnebago County Parks.
***If you encounter a Winnebago County buoy that needs attention (light is not working, damaged, etc.), RECORD the buoy number and report it to the Winnebago County Park Department: (920) 232-1960. It’s crucial to include the buoy number in your report***
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org
