Northwest Iowa — The Okoboji lakes were among bodies of water upon which the Iowa Department of Natural Resources took part in a national campaign called Operation Dry Water.
DNR Boating Law Administrator and Education Coordinator, Susan Stocker, says DNR officers arrested six individuals for drunk boating during this year’s Operation Dry Water period. She says that’s down slightly from last year’s campaign.
Law officers stepped-up enforcement efforts for Operation Dry Water at Okoboji, Clear Lake, Saylorville, Coralville Reservoir/Lake MacBride, Lake Delhi, and both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
During the enforcement operation, 153 officers participated, spending more than 1,800 hours making contact with 1,463 vessels. In addition to the six boating while intoxicated arrests, the DNR reports officers issued 478 various citations or warnings.
Six people were killed in Iowa in boat crashes last year. Two of those crashes involved alcohol.
