The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters on Lake Michigan in Gary, IN. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with an over water air show, drone display, and fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Lake Michigan, or their designated representative.

Dates

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This rule is effective from August 20, 2026 through August 23, 2026.

Addresses

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To view available documents go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for USCG-2026-0997.

For further information contact

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If you have questions about this notification of enforcement, call or email Lieutenant Kyle Goetz, Marine Safety Unit Chicago, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone: 630-986-2155, email: [email protected].

I. Table of Abbreviations

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CFR Code of Federal Regulations COTP Captain of the Port DHS Department of Homeland Security FR Federal Register NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking Sec. Section U.S.C. United States Code

II. Background and Authority

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The Coast Guard received notification that an air and water show will take place over Lake Michigan near Gary, IN. The Captain of the Port (COTP) Lake Michigan has determined that potential hazards associated with an air and water show are a safety concern for anyone in the area directly below the air show course. Therefore, the COTP is issuing this rule under the authority in 46 U.S.C. 70034, which is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment in the navigable waters within the safety zone. Because of these potential hazards, the Coast Guard is issuing this rule without prior notice and comment. As is authorized by 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the Coast Guard finds that good cause exists for not publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) with respect to this rule because it is impracticable. The Coast Guard confirmed a temporary final rule was necessary on August 10, 2026, but we must establish this safety zone by August 20, 2026, to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment. Therefore, we do not have enough time to solicit and respond to comments. For the same reason, the Coast Guard finds that under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), good cause exists for making this rule effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

III. Discussion of the Rule

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This rule establishes a safety zone from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day from August 20, 2026 through August 23, 2026. In addition, the rule also establishes a safety zone from 6:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on August 21, 2026. The safety zone will cover all navigable waters on Lake Michigan bounded by a line drawn from 41[deg]37.217' N, 087[deg]16.763' W; then east along the shoreline to 41[deg]37.413' N, 087[deg]13.822' W; then north to 41[deg]38.017' N, 087[deg]13.877' W; then southwest to 41[deg]37.805' N, 087[deg]16.767' W; then south returning to the point of origin. Vessels and persons will not be allowed to enter the zone during this time, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port.

IV. Regulatory Analyses

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We developed this rule after considering numerous statutes and Executive orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize our analyses based on a number of these statutes and Executive orders.