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New buoys on Lake Union will warn boaters to steer clear of seaplanes

SEATTLE — Kenmore Air installed a line of five new buoys in the middle of Lake Union on Wednesday to mark a space for float planes to take off and touch down.

It's a new attempt to make the lake safer for planes and boats this summer, when the lake can be especially busy on weekend afternoons.

"This is just a way for us to all get along and know where we're all going to be," said John Gowey of Kenmore Air.

Seattle city officials said a $109,000 state grant is paying for the buoys through Labor Day as part of a test project for managing traffic on the lake.

The buoys say "Seaplane zone - stay clear when flashing yellow."

What it doesn't say is that there's no enforcement and boaters don't need to comply.

John Meyer, whose company, Northwest Outdoor Center, rents paddleboards and kayaks, thinks many people on the lake won't pay attention to the buoys.

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"I think the buoys will be a good idea so people know what's going on. But you know what traffic laws are like. People tend to ignore them," Meyer said.

He hopes the buoys don't lead to actual regulations or tip the balance on the lake too far toward float planes.

"I'm not a fan. The lake is a public space," said sailboat owner Judy Malmgren, who has been fighting the buoy plan.

She said it is unfair to boaters by giving too much of the lake to a private business.

"We can't have a landing strip on the lake because the lake is used by so many people," Malmgren said.

Seaplane pilots will switch on and off the buoy lights.

Kenmore Air only expects to use them on busy weekend afternoons.

Pilots can still land anywhere on the lake, and it is still their responsibility to stay safely away from boats.

Kenmore Air recently announced service to Vancouver, British Columbia, but said that will not mean an increase in plane traffic on the lake because the planes flying to Vancouver would still have flown out of Seattle going somewhere else.