11 charged with drunken boating, 392 other citations or warnings during July 3-5 enforcement on Iowa waterways

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and other law enforcement agencies involved in Operation Dry Water 2020 charged 11 people with drunken boating over the July 4 holiday weekend, the agency reported Tuesday.

Across Iowa, 140 officers spent more than 2,500 hours talking with more than 6,400 boaters on Iowa waterways between July 3-5. Officers arrested 11 people for boating under the influence of alcohol and issued 392 other citations or warnings.

The DNR partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dubuque Police Department, Illinois DNR, Nebraska Game & Parks, Wisconsin DNR, Linn County Conservation and the Johnson, Mills, Fremont, Clayton and Crawford county sheriff's offices.

The DNR reminds boaters they can be charged with drunken boating with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher - the same standard used for driving. Wind, sun glare and heat can enhance the effects of alcohol, hindering an operator's ability to make decisions, the DNR reported.

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