As boating traffic increases over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division will increase on the water patrols and enforcement as part of Operation Dry Water, a national campaign focused on preventing driving or operating a vessel while impaired (DWI).
From July 3-5, LDWF agents will once again partner with Louisiana State Police troopers and local agencies as they take part in the initiative in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs and some prescription medications.
Nationwide, alcohol is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating incidents causing 20 percent of all deaths on the water. In Louisiana from 2020 to 2024, there were 96 recreational boating fatalities with alcohol being a factor in 21 of those fatalities or 22 percent.
Last year, over 7,000 officers from 451 agencies participated in Operation Dry Water nationwide making 201 driving or operating a vessel while impaired (DWI) arrests. In Louisiana, LDWF agents arrested 19 boaters for DWI on the water for Operation Dry Water weekend in 2025.
“We are proud to partner with NASBLA during this busy weekend on the water to help make the waterways safer for everyone involved,” said Col. Stephen Clark, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division. “We want everyone to enjoy the water this Fourth of July Weekend in a safe manner and that includes having a sober vessel operator.”
Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties to be severe. In Louisiana, a DWI on the water carries the same penalties and fines as on the road and includes jail time, fines and loss of driving and boat operating privileges. Also, each offense of operating a vehicle or vessel while impaired counts toward the total number of DWI crimes whether they happened on the water or road.
In Louisiana, a DWI can be issued to anyone operating a moving vessel or vehicle while impaired. First offense DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
LDWF is also encouraging the use of personal flotation devices while on the water this holiday weekend and as a reminder, anyone born after Jan. 1, 1984 is required to take a safe boating education course. To take the safe boating education course, please visit: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
Operation Dry Water is a year-round national initiative dedicated to reducing alcohol and drug-related boating incidents and fatalities through education and enforcement. More information is available at www.operationdrywater.org.
