Undated (KROC-AM News) - A statewide crackdown on boating while intoxicated is taking place in Minnesota this weekend.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and public safety agencies throughout the state are ramping up patrols on lakes and other waterways through Sunday to look for intoxicated boaters. The enhanced enforcement campaign is part of Operation Dry Water, which is a national effort to draw attention to the dangers of boating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The DNR says state boating accident statistics show that an average of 42-percent of fatal boating accidents in Minnesota over the past 5 years were alcohol related. Last year, alcohol was listed as a factor in 6 of the state’s 14 boating fatalities.

“We have zero tolerance for anyone found operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and the state’s strict penalties for BWI make that clear,” said DNR Conservation Officer Adam Block. “Drunk boating is drunk driving. Boaters should be aware that a BWI on your record has the same consequences as a DWI.”

The legal blood-alcohol-concentration limit for operating a boat in Minnesota is .08, the same as it is for driving a motor vehicle. Violators of the law can be fined up to $1000 for a 1st offense, or face possible jail time and the forfeiture of their boat and trailer for gross misdemeanor or felony level offenses.

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