Be aware on your boat

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office will be participating in Operation Dry Water, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness and enforce laws against boating under the influence.

From June 27 to 29, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Recreation Safety Section will be on heightened alert for those violating boating under the influence laws. According to a press release from the sheriff's office, alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths in the United States.

"In 2013, officers across the nation contacted 144,044 recreational boaters and made 290 BUI arrests during the three-day weekend," the release states. "Thousands of law enforcement officers, along with their boating safety partners, will be on the water during Operation Dry Water, educating boaters about the dangers of boating under the influence of drugs and alcohol as well as removing from the water those who choose to boat impaired."

For more information on Operation Dry Water, visit operationdrywater.org, or contact the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Recreation Safety Section at (208)446-2250.