St. Louis, MO – The U.S. Army Corps f Engineers, St. Louis District’s, Carlyle Lake was recently recognized as the 2024 USACE National Water Safety Team of the Year for their exceptional efforts in promoting water safety throughout the 2023 recreation season.
Despite facing numerous challenges, the Carlyle Lake Water Safety Team demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in spreading the message of recreating safely while in and near the water to the millions of visitors who frequented the beaches and boat ramps at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, Illinois.
The small team’s collaborative approach led them to engaging with local businesses and organizations to amplify their message and expand their reach in the community. These partnerships led to new opportunities and several new events that allowed the team to reach thousands of visitors, continuing to build the culture of safe recreation at the lake.
“This was truly a phenomenal job by a team dealing with a risk that cannot be eliminated,” Lou Dell’Orco, chief of the St. Louis District’s Operations and Readiness Division said. “Their highly effective delivery platform using digital media, personal messaging, educating the public in a wide variety of styles to include open forums, and community support and activities achieved results and resulted in a safe recreation season, that resulted in millions of visitors making it home safely.”
Despite the numerous obstacles they faced, the Carlyle Lake Water Safety Team rose to the occasion taking the Corps of Engineers water safety mission to new heights. Their commitment and dedication to safe recreation ensured the continued success of the water safety program, showcasing their resilience and highlighted their adaptability in the face of adversity.
Carlyle Lake, located about 50 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri, is Illinois’ largest manmade lake at 26,000 acres of water, with an annual average visitation of more than 2.5 million people.
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Release no. 24-014
