The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office is looking for retired and/or certified law enforcement members to work on the water this summer.

And it is increasing the pay by nearly 50% to find them.

"Serve your community by patrolling Kootenai County's beautiful waterways this summer," said a press release.

Among their duties, water deputies conduct vessel safety inspections, respond to calls for assistance, issue citations, investigate accidents and remove hazards.

The county hopes to hire 12 seasonal marine deputies, supervised by a few full-time marine deputies, to help patrol nearly 20 lakes and more than 50 miles of rivers.

But in years past, that's been difficult, said KCSO Lt. Ryan Higgins.

While being on the water might sound like fun, it can be a tough gig. It's part time, and it's mostly afternoon and evening hours because that's when most boaters are out there.

And deputies sometimes end up dealing with boaters who have had a little too much to drink, want to have summer fun on Lake Coeur d'Alene, and aren't always thrilled to see law enforcement officers coming their way.

So far this year, only three applications have been submitted, so KCSO increased the pay significantly - to $25 an hour from $17.

"We bumped it up," Higgins said Monday. "We're hoping this might bring them out to help with their community."

There are a few returnees from last year, too, which means they have about five total who want in.

"That's about half of what we need," Higgins said.

While retired and certified law enforcement officers are the target because of their experience, those new to this line of work can apply.

The marine season starts around April 18 and runs through Labor Day weekend. The coverage area includes Lake Coeur d’Alene, the Spokane River, Hayden Lake and Bayview.

Applications are due Sunday. There's a background check and a physical agility test, and interviews will be held April 5.

Apply at www.kcgov.us.

Info: Marcia Heglie, 208-446-1306, [email protected].