The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will be participating in the annual Operation Dry Water campaign over the Fourth of July weekend – July 2-4.

This three-day weekend is a holiday known for drinking and boating, as well as deadly accidents.

During the Operation Dry Water weekend, LDWF agents will be out in force patrolling state waterways for impaired boat operators.

Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs and some prescription medications.

Nationwide, alcohol is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating incidents with alcohol playing a role in 19 percent of boating fatalities. 

Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties to be severe.

Operation Dry Water was started in 2009 and is a joint program involving the LDWF/LED, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. More information is available at operationdrywater.org .

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