Campaign helps maintain safety on Seattle's Lake Union

SEATTLE — The bustle on a summer day on Lake Union is a beehive of boats, paddleboarders and seaplanes coming and going, but keeping them from tangling up is mostly left up to boaters and pilots observing the rules of the lake.

“I’ve heard of a couple near misses," Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol Sgt. Kevin Haistings said. "They weren’t on the days I was working, but part of that was the impetus of that brought in the seaplane landing zone."

The landing zone is marked every summer season with buoys and flashing lights.

“When a plane is coming in or taking off, they’ll light those buoys from the plane from their radio," said Andrea Pierantozzi of the Recreational Boating Association of Washington. "That lets users know at the water there’s a plane coming in or going off."

In a campaign called Mind the Zone, boaters are asked to watch the buoys to know to clear the way for planes.

When yellow lights are flashing, a seaplane is about to take off or land. People on boats are asked to move 200 feet east or west of the buoy line. Minding the zone will keep new rules from being put in place, officials hope.

“There are a lot more users coming to Lake Union, but Lake Union isn’t getting any bigger and we don’t want anyone to be restricted," Pierantozzi said.

The buoys will probably not eliminate all close calls, but they should send a message about being good sailors on one of Seattle's busiest waterways.

“It’s probably not perfect for everybody," Haistings said. "Not everybody likes it, but I think it’s a safety measure and probably a good idea to have."