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Environmental News
Mathew Holding Eagle III

Sobriety checks increase on Minnesota waterways over holiday weekend

A DNR officer gives a person a field sobriety test on a boat.
A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer conducts a mock field sobriety test on a boater.
Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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"Operation Dry Water" kicked off Friday – and with it, multiple public safety agencies are on the lookout for intoxicated boaters over the holiday weekend.

"’It's a national awareness and enforcement campaign that is focused on reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities on the water,” said Lisa Dugan, a boat and water safety outreach coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “It happens every year, typically around the Fourth of July."

Dugan said statistically the holiday is one of the most dangerous times of the year for boaters. According to the DNR, about 30 percent of fatal boat accidents involve alcohol. Boaters are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages and have open containers while out on the water, that includes the skippers operating the vessel. The rule differs from automobiles, where occupants are prohibited from having open containers. However, just like while operating any motor vehicle, the blood alcohol concentration limit for impaired operation of a boat is .08 percent.

“It's hard to ignore that the Fourth of July does coincide with more accidents on the water [and] fatalities,” Dugan said. “There's this atmosphere of, you can have an open bottle on a boat, you can drink while on the water, and just making sure that if people are choosing to do that, that they're doing it responsibly."

A boat
“Operation Dry Water” is a national campaign targeting intoxicated boaters July 3-5. Multiple public safety agencies take part in the annual crackdown.
Courtesy of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Dugan said the consequences for piloting a boat while intoxicated are the same as for any other motorized vehicle.

According to Dugan, other public safety agencies – aside from the Minnesota DNR – might be on the water during the increased enforcement period, including the DNRs of neighboring states, if the waterway is shared. Meanwhile, the National Park Service, county water patrol units and county deputies may patrol waterways depending on their jurisdiction.

“Everybody is on the same mission of safety for the people who are operating on the water,” Dugan said. “That's the main goal, to have a fun weekend and make sure everybody gets home safely.”