With the busiest lakes area holiday occurring this weekend, boaters are reminded to stay safe while on the water.
Dickinson County conservation officer Gary Owen said the Department of Natural Resources will be patrolling the lakes 24/7 this weekend and officers will be looking for people operating boats intoxicated.
Owen clarified that there is not an open container law for boating. However, no hard liquor is allowed on the lakes - only beer and wine.
There are three parts to the law:
n You can't operate a boat with any amount of illegal drugs in your system.
n You can't operate a boat impaired or intoxicated.
n If your blood-alcohol level is .1 or above, you cannot operate a boat.
Owens also defined applied consent, which says that when a person accepts the privilege of operating a boat on Iowa waters, they are giving their consent to be tested if stopped.
With the extra boats on the waters this weekend, Owens would like to remind everyone to "slow down and be safe."