1. US Army Corps of Engineers Life Jacket Policy Test
Lynda Nutt
Manager, USACE National Operations Center for Water Safety
National Boating Safety Advisory Council
January 2011

2. USACE Test - Three Regions
The Corps is now testing policy in three regions. Pittsburgh District, of course, introduced the policy in 1990, but had little or no documentation to support its effect; they were brought into the HQs test for that reason. Vicksburg District became the first district studied under the entire process (from informing local Governments to implementing/enforcing the policy), and truly became our best study model. In 2008, we added Sacramento District, at the request of leadership, to expand on the experience and capture results in an entirely different region of the US. Their policy will begin April 1, 2011 at Pine Flat Lake, recreational waters in the Sierra foothills outside of Fresno.

3. Youghiogheny River Lake Ross R. Barnett Reservoir
Study Lakes
Region
Test Lakes
Control Lakes
Pittsburgh Test
Youghiogheny River Lake
Shenango River Lake
Berlin Lake
Tygert Lake
Vicksburg Test
Grenada Lake
Enid Lake
Arkabutla Lake
Sardis Lake
Ross R. Barnett Reservoir
Bay Springs Lake
Sacramento Test
Pine Flat Lake
Millerton Lake

4. Policies by USACE Test Region
Site
Non-motorized
Boats Less than 16 feet
Boats feet
Boats greater than 26 feet
Swimming
Pittsburgh District
Less than 16 feet
At all times
No policy
Non-swimmers
Vicksburg District
At all times regardless of size
When under main propulsion
When outside designated area
Sacramento District
(Pine Flat Lake)
(with exception)
When 100’ from shore
(Ca law)

5. Policies set locally based on risk groups
Common trends found in all regions:
Boaters in smallcraft
Boaters underway
Swimmers outside designated areas
Each region’s experience is that the majority of their on-the-water fatalities involve boaters in smallcraft, boaters under power and swimmers in non-designated areas. HQs didn’t require it, but Vicksburg and Sacramento Districts both opted to include a swimming in non-designated waters regulation, because more than a third of their public fatalities in both regions fell into this category.
Swimming is actually a factor in over 60% of their fatalities.

6. Pittsburgh District 2008 Baseline versus 2009 Cumulative Wear Rates

7. 2008 Baseline versus 2009-10 Cumulative Wear Rates
Vicksburg District
2008 Baseline versus Cumulative Wear Rates
Baseline observations showed wear rates that were typical of national voluntary wear rate findings, in the 6-8% range; hopes were the through enforcement in the first test year, we could move the wear rates by 10%. By the end of the 2009 rec season, both Corps and USCG were pleased to see that wear rates on the lakes wear policy had been introduced had jumped to greater than 70%. Control lakes were used in the test to allow for side-by-side comparison for the effect of policy versus no policy and you can see here on this chart that little change occurred in those wear rates. Data you’re viewing here reflect recreation season totals; when fall/winter observations are factored into the year’s totals, the rates jump even more.

8. Sacramento District 2008 Baseline Cumulative Wear

9. The Wear Rates JSI Study – Voluntary wear
JSI Study – Wear rates under policy
Validation study important for confidence in findings
Early findings show great success when policy exists AND is worked
Through educational contacts
Through posted restriction
Through obvious LE presence and actions
This might be best discussed by John Malatak – what the JSI study and validation study actually are/aren’t.

10. Changes within the Corps…

11. We know: Advance coordination and continued effort is critical
Education is an important part of the success
Life Jackets save lives…
Lives have been saved because of this test

12. Next steps Conduct the 3rd and final year of the test
Ends October 31st in all regions
Begin compiling final report
Host a stakeholders’ meeting for pre-Command briefing discussion
Conduct Commander/leadership briefing, with final recommendations

13. USACE Test Will Document
Wear rates pre-and-post policy test
Recreation effects
Budget and staffing implications
Public, Stakeholders and Congressional reactions/actions
Agency costs of not having policy
Important throughout the process is the information that the Corps hopes to gain from our observations and covert measurements.