(Wahpeton)– You can expect to see additional Lakes Patrol officers on the Iowa Great Lakes this weekend.
DNR Enforcement Officer Gary Owen tells KUOO news it’s part of a national effort to crack down on boating under the influence. The operation has been dubbed “Operation Dry Water”.
Owen says over 20 percent of boating-related fatalities are a result of alcohol use. He says environmental factors on the water, such as sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion can intensify effects of alcohol, drugs and some medications…slowing reaction times and impairing vision…leading to accidents.
Operating a boat with a blood alcohol concentration of .10 percent or greater is illegal.
Penalties may include fines, jail, impoundment of your boat and loss of boating privileges.
Owen says the timing of the special enforcement project a week before the Fourth of July holiday weekend comes as no coincidence.
