Corps urges water safety precautions for Labor Day weekend

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, wants to remind folks to take extra precautions while folks celebrate the final week of summer and transition to fall activities to ensure they are safe while out on the water.

With the onset of September there comes cooler water temperatures and the additional risk of hypothermia.  Any water temperature below 70 degrees is considered cold water and means an increased risk of hypothermia. So while you are out fishing, boating or waterfowl hunting; remember to not only bring your life vest or float coat, but also wear it. It could save your life.

The nearly 650 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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