An island in the Bay of Green Bay where a local business owner is proposing adding warning lights for boaters. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An incident last month on the Bay of Green Bay has led a business owner to call for upgrades in the shipping channel.
On March 15, a boat was returning to Green Bay Metro Marina when it clipped part of Grassy Island. One person was seriously injured.
Jeff Tilkens, known as Tilky, owns Smokey’s on the Bay. He’s very familiar with the Bay of Green Bay and its shipping channel, and after the incident last month, he said something needs to change.
“It’s a danger out there. Before Kidney Island used to have a lot of vegetation, a lot of trees, the island was easier to spot. But when you’re going at night, the way the water is, and if it’s a little rough, that rocky structure almost looks like waves.”
While there are navigational markers in the bay which help to identify the boating channel, Tilkens believes more needs to be done. He’s pushing to have permanent warning lights installed on the north and south end of the island, making it more visible to boaters — and safer too.
“We need better navigational lights, especially when people aren’t familiar with the area, so nothing happens to them,” said Tilkens.
Tilkens says he’s in the process of applying for the change.
The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for permitting for any PATON, or Private Aids to Navigation. The Coast Guard says once an application is submitted for permanent fixtures, the DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers need to approve the plan too.
Tilkens said, “It’s not a matter of the cost. It’s a matter of getting it done because someone else is going to get hurt. You see, our fishery is so good, people from all over the United States come here for our walleyes, and they don’t know the waterways and something really bad could happen out there.”
While Tilkens isn’t sure how much the new lights will cost, he’s not concerned about fundraising, saying fishing clubs and other conservation groups are willing to pitch in — knowing the impact they will have on boater safety.
The Coast Guard says the approval process for the lights, once an application is submitted, can take about 30 days.
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