HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A nationwide campaign addressing boating under the influence will take place again this year over Independence Day Weekend.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is one of the agencies that participates in Operation Dry Water.
Kansas game wardens are responsible for patrolling the waters of Kansas and conducting boat accident investigations, boat safety inspections, BUI checks, safety programs, education classes and other boating-related activities.
During Operation Dry Water, officers will be looking for boaters whose blood alcohol content exceeds the state limit of 0.08. The weekend will include increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, life jacket checks and boater education.
Impaired boaters can expect to be arrested or face other serious penalties. In Kansas, the consequences for BUI include fines, jail and loss of boating privileges.
Alcohol use continues to be the leading contributing factor in recreational boating fatalities. Since the commencement of the Operation Dry Water campaign in 2009, law enforcement officers across the nation have removed over 4,700 impaired operators from our nation’s waterways, preventing dangerous and potentially catastrophic consequences.
In 2020, 620 agencies from every state and territory took part in the Operation Dry Water weekend.