The July 4th weekend means an increase in boating activity on Nevada’s waters. Unfortunately, it also means an increase in drinking related accidents as well. That's why game wardens from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), along with law enforcement agencies from across the state, will be out in force this holiday weekend (July 2-4) targeting boaters operating under the influence (OUI) as part of Operation Dry Water.

“Boating is a great way to spend the 4th of July weekend,” said Nevada Captain Brian Bowles, Nevada’s Boating Law Administrator. “But drinking and boating is a recipe for disaster. Our job is the safety of everyone on the water, and if you’re putting people in danger by drinking and boating you could be leaving the lake in handcuffs.”

NDOW will have boats on every major body of water across the state, and other law enforcement agencies are also adding extra officers to many waterways in other parts of the state. In Southern Nevada, the National Park Service will be working with NDOW at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Operation Dry Water is a nationally coordinated heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, focused on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The campaign is an effort to coordinate increased patrols, investigations, and operating under the influence check points across the country.

 “Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths. It affects your judgment along with your balance, vision and reaction time,” said Bowles. “We definitely want people on the water enjoying themselves with their families, but we also want to make sure everyone gets home safely.”

For more information on Operation Dry Water, please visit operationdrywater.org. A list of participating of agencies by state can be found at the following site. http://www.operationdrywater.org/agencies.