FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2023
Contact:?DNR Office of Communications
[email protected]

Boaters: Be Aware Of Increased Law Enforcement
On Wisconsin Waters

Operation Dry Water Is July 1?3

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Boaters will?see more DNR conservation wardens and area law enforcement on the water as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign July 1-3. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, Wis.?? The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) advises boaters that they will?see more DNR conservation wardens and area law enforcement on the water July 1-3 as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign.

Wardens and other participating law enforcement agencies will be educating boaters about safe boating practices across the country, which includes sober boating.

Alcohol use is a leading factor in recreational boating fatalities, and nearly 80% of fatal boating incidents involve drowning. Since Operation Dry Water started in 2009, law enforcement officers across the nation have taken law enforcement action against 4,700 impaired operators, preventing dangerous and potentially devastating consequences.

If?alcohol?is involved?in?your day of?boating, have a designated operator. Operating a?boat?is no different than driving a car.

?Boating while impaired continues to be a problem on our waterways,? said Lt. Darren Kuhn, DNR Boating Law Administrator. ?As law enforcement, it is our duty to ensure that recreational boaters, paddlers and anyone enjoying our waterways have a safe place to spend their time. The tragedies that result from these boating under the influence incidents are 100% preventable.?

Operating a vessel while impaired is illegal on all bodies of water and can lead to serious injuries, death and legal consequences. In Wisconsin, it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher.

Operation Dry Water is a year-round boating-under-the-influence-awareness-and-enforcement campaign with the purpose of reducing the number of alcohol and drug related incidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water.

Boaters can learn more about boating under the influence by visiting operationdrywater.org. Operation Dry Water is coordinated nationally by the National Association of State Boating Law.