Buoys are used to mark the navigation channel on the Rideau. Here they mark the channel in the "River Styx" a marshy section of the Cataraqui River made navigable by the raising of the water with the building of the dam at Kingston Mills. Although much of this lake is navigable by small boats, the buoys mark the channel in which the water depth is maintained to the minimum navigation depth of 5.5 feet (in fact most of this section has depths of 7 to 10 feet).
Boaters will know that this photo must be looking north due to the positioning of the buoys. On the Rideau, Newboro is considered to be the home port, it represents the highest point on the waterway. Buoys are always positioned so that the red buoys will be on your right when returning (heading upstream) to home port (hence "red right returning"). So, if heading from Kingston to Newboro, red buoys will be on your right (you are returning upstream to the home port). Heading from Newboro to Ottawa, red buoys will be on your left, since you are now heading away from home port.
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