Eagan News

Last year Cascade Bay installed a rooftop lightning detection system, similar to those many golf courses use. Covering the expense were hazard mitigation funds from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management division.

The system, set at a three-mile radius, alerts park workers of nearby lightning. In its first season last summer, alerts were sent several times. “It’s a great resource for our staff,” says Mark Vaughan, facility manager. “We no longer have to make that hard decision of when to close facilities due to dangerous lightning — the computer system does that for us.” And that helps keep everyone safe at Eagan’s parks.