Kootenai County, ID – The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in Operation Dry Water as part of a nationally coordinated effort to raise awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence (BUI) and reduce the number of accidents and deaths related to alcohol use on our waterways.
Operation Dry Water weekend, July 5th through July 7th, is the national weekend of heightened enforcement of boating under the influence laws and recreational boater outreach. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office will be reaching out as part of the yearlong Operation Dry Water campaign to inform and educate boaters about the dangers and effects of boating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreation boater deaths in the United States. By participating in Operation Dry Water, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is helping to keep recreational boaters safe and working toward reducing the number of accidents and deaths on the water.
In Idaho, boaters whose blood alcohol content (BAC) level exceeds the state limit of .08 can be arrested for BUI. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office supports the Operation Dry Water message, which encourages boaters to never boat under the influence and enjoy their time on the water responsibly.
Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, the U.S. Coast Guard and Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. For more information on Operation Dry Water, please visit operationdrywater.org.
Sheriff Ben Wolfinger
By: Lt. Ryan Higgins