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By Charlotte Reames

With Memorial Day weekend coming up, many families in the Greater Valley Area will be heading to the West Point Lake with swim trunks and floaties. In a press release, the Army Corps of Engineers has a list of safety reminders to help families stay safe in the water this summer.

Here are a list of reminders:

• Always remember to wear a properly fitted life jacket while in the water or riding on a water vessel. Life jackets stations at Earl Cook, Rocky Point and Yellowjacket Creek Recreation Areas, as well as Holiday, Whitetail Ridge, Amity and R. Shaefer Heard Campgrounds will loan them out to visitors for free. West Point Lake USACE recently announced that Progressive Insurance was teaming up to donate life jackets to promote water safety. 
• The Corps of Engineers manages 21 day use parks around the lake. During the warmer months, many of these areas fill up quickly. The USACE encourages visitors to find another park with adequate parking to avoid overcrowding and confusion. 
• Though the picnic shelters are typically first come, first served, they are available for reservations. That means that it’s important to check signs nearby to make sure a shelter hasn’t been rented out before using it.
• Don’t litter. The USACE asks visitors to be mindful of the natural resources and wildlife at the lake by disposing of trash in receptacles. Rangers and volunteers have a large area to cover keeping visitors safe without having to worry about littered trash.
• With the summer months approaching, the lake will be busier than ever. Be mindful of other visitors trying to enjoy the public space. Music and activities should not disrupt the use of others, the press release reads. Campground quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• If you see something suspicious like acts of vandalism, report them immediately by calling 911.
• Lastly, the USACE asked in the press release that visitors remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country this Memorial Day weekend.