DAVENPORT, Iowa — A week ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Operation Dry Water is a nationwide program that aims to crack down on boater safety. From June 24 - 26, all available law enforcement resources focus on checking as many boats as possible on lakes and rivers.
"Our goal is just to make sure everybody is operating in a safe manner," said Officer Jeff Harrison, Iowa DNR. He's been in law enforcement for 24-years.
Officer Harrison met with people on Sunday as they put their boats in the water. He checked to make sure each boat had a toss-flotation device, a working fire extinguisher, a horn and that each boater had a properly fitting life vest.
According to Susan Stocker of the Iowa DNR administration office, in 2015 nationwide, 17-percent of boating fatalities involved drinking; compared to Iowa, where 66-percent of boating fatalities involve drinking. Stocker said there are approximately 54 Boating While Intoxicated arrests made every year in the state of Iowa.
The heat and movement from the waves can compound with consuming alcohol to have a greater effect on a boat operator.
"You have to take in account that you've got the sun exposure, you've got more dehydration that occurs on the boat on the vessel from being on the water so that alcohol is going to effect you more seriously and more quicker than that of someone who consumes on land," said Officer Harrison.
Over the Operation Dry Water weekend in Scott County, there were 19 alcohol related citations on the water, 3 citations were issued for persons under the legal age of consuming alcohol and 71 boats were inspected.
One tool the Iowa DNR takes advantage of to deter people from consuming too much alcohol is undercover surveillance. Plain-dressed officers in an undercover vessel were on area waters this weekend.
"Everybody can see the flagship coming and sometimes that deters what their doing or maybe they'll see us out there," said Officer Harrison. The undercover officers are a tool to ultimately keep boaters safe, but Officer Harrison says there is room to improve.
"We need better deterrents, some people just don't take it seriously yet, you know we had an OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) arrest last night and it was just like, well I guess I'll just put my boat up for a year not worried about anything this or that," said Officer Harrison.
Officer Harrison said a successful outcome of Operation Dry Water would be zero major accidents on the water this summer.