Overview
- The three-day campaign runs July 3–5 and was officially kicked off by a national event in Lake Havasu City as agencies across all 56 U.S. states and territories prepare heightened activity.
- State and local conservation officers, marine units and sheriff’s departments say they will increase visible on-water patrols and conduct sobriety checks to find and remove boaters impaired by alcohol, drugs or some medications.
- Officers have legal authority to seek blood, breath or urine samples and warn convicted impaired operators face arrest, fines, jail time and loss of operating privileges.
- Agencies pair enforcement with education and safety checks, emphasizing Coast Guard–approved life jackets, required safety equipment, boating courses and public reporting of suspected impaired operators to 911 or wildlife dispatch.
- Operation Dry Water began in 2009 with NASBLA and the U.S. Coast Guard and officials note the campaign has removed thousands of impaired operators and that July is the highest month for recreational boating incidents, reinforcing the holiday focus.