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Herriman council weighs modular signs and buoys at Blackridge Reservoir; rejects inflatable rescue buoys, debates designated swim area
Summary
After reviewing options to reduce drownings at Blackridge Reservoir, council favored simpler, modular signage and targeted hazard buoys near the drop‑off, declined inflatable floating rescue buoys as an attractant, and expressed concern about creating the perception of lifeguarded safety or adding enforcement burdens.
Herriman staff presented a menu of safety measures for Blackridge Reservoir at the Jan. 14 work meeting: modular, changeable signage; floating buoys with handholds; a marked swimming boundary near the shallow sand area; life‑jacket loaner kiosks; a centralized kiosk with rules and warnings; and potential physical changes such as a rescue gate or stairs.
Staff noted legal and practical limits: enforcement capacity is limited, rescue equipment and life‑jacket loaners raise maintenance and liability questions, and some buoy or inflatable options may attract swimmers into deeper water. Sergeant Shaver and other public‑safety staff participated in the discussion and noted rescue equipment (throw bags) can be available in emergency vehicles but that active enforcement and lifeguard staffing would be costly.
Council members broadly agreed on three principles: (1) favor clearer, less cluttered signage (e.g., a simple "enter at your own risk" top‑line sign plus supplemental kiosks), (2) avoid options that make the reservoir feel like a swimming pool (for example, large inflatable play structures), and (3) consider modest hazard buoys near the rock edge/wall to warn of a sharp drop‑off rather than demarcate a full swim zone.
Several councilors supported a centralized kiosk or "hut" with detailed information, complemented by modular signs at beach entry points; others voiced concern that a designated swim boundary could create a false sense of safety without lifeguards. Staff recommended installing anchored buoys near the retaining wall and improving signage as a near‑term pilot and returning to council with cost estimates in six months.
No binding policy change was adopted at the meeting; staff will return with recommended signage and buoy placements and cost estimates for council consideration.
