Operation dry water-results

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky conservation officers teamed up with law enforcement personnel from 450 agencies nationwide this summer for Operation Dry Water.

Operation Dry Water is devoted to Boating Under the Influence (BUI) education and enforcement. The weekend enforcement effort, which is aimed at reducing alcohol and drug-related accidents on lakes and rivers, resulted in 4,338 citations issued nationwide, including 321 BUIs.

Additionally, 42,253 vessels were checked and 8,589 safety warnings were issued by the 3,649 officers who patrolled the nations waterways, according to an article published in Small Craft Advisory, the official publication of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

Now in its third year, Operation Dry Water is an initiative launched by NASBLA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and partnering state and federal agencies. It is traditionally held on the weekend prior to the July 4 holiday.

During the weekend, boaters were contacted with safety messages at boat ramps and on the water. Law enforcement officers conducted courtesy boat inspections. Officers also answered questions about Kentuckys boating laws and the safety equipment required on boats.

Our goal every year on this weekend is to have no Boating Under the Influence (BUI) arrests and no alcohol-related accidents, said Captain Mike Fields, Boating Law Administrator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Operation Dry Water is an effort to get the word out that alcohol and boating dont mix.

boating laws are detailed in the Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide, available wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold. The guide is also available online at the departments website: fw.ky.gov.

For more information about Operation Dry Water, go online to [url]www.operationdrywater.org[/url].

Kinda asking and making a statement....I wish the state had a sticker you could get after you have been inspected on the water so you could show you were in compliance from the last inspection. That way if you have the proper colored registration on your boat and a sticker showing you were checked at least once that year they would know to check others who have not been inspected. I do my best to follow the rules/laws on the water and don't mind an inspection but seems their job would be easier if boats were marked better for them to decide who to check first. Do they have this program anywhere in the state?
Of course this has little to do with BUI prevention but I think it's a start on who has been following the rules and passed impromtu inspections and who has not. Just a thought....