Buoys on Lacamas Lake a boat safety course

Camas — Folks were curious about a grid of orange buoys laid out on the surface of Lacamas Lake, especially near the Ledbetter Mansion, and official state-agency boats crisscrossing the grid area. Turns out the buoys weren’t related to a scientific study, but boating safety. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife “was conducting a boating safety course on Lacamas Lake,” said staff member James Byrne. Part of the course involves a driving efficiency test — that is, “powering a boat at speed through a slalom course.” The buoys in question were markers for that slalom course. There are several other buoys on the lake, Byrne added, including channel markers and the boundary of a water quality station.