Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents will take part in Operation Dry Water from July 2 to July 4.
During the Operation Dry Water weekend, LDWF agents will be out in force patrolling state waterways for impaired boat operators.
“We take boating safety on Louisiana waterways very seriously and that includes our DWI enforcement,” said Major Clay Marques, the state’s boating law administrator. “We want everyone to feel safe on the water this Fourth of July weekend and that starts with having a sober operator of your vessel.”
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 causing 16 percent of all deaths on the water. Louisiana had 27 boating fatalities in 2021, with alcohol playing a role in eight fatalities or 30 percent.
Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties to be severe. In Louisiana, a DWI on the water carries the same penalties and fines as on the road and includes jail time, fines and loss of driving and boating operator privileges.
Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver's license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by the judge in the case. Also, each offense of operating a vehicle or vessel while intoxicated counts toward the total number of DWI crimes whether they happened on the water or road.
In Louisiana, a DWI can be issued to anyone operating a moving vessel or vehicle while impaired. First offense DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
LDWF is also encouraging the use of personal flotation devices while on the water this holiday weekend.
Operation Dry Water was started in 2009 and is a joint program involving the LDWF, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. More information is available at www.operationdrywater.org.