The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently completed a special enforcement project on Lake Panorama. The project on July 7th targeted safe boating practices on the water. Eleven DNR Conservation Officers and water patrol officers came in contact with 51 boats and 206 individuals between the hours of 4 and 10:30pm.

The DNR issued seven citations, including four for lack of a personal floatation devices, and one each for an overloaded vessel, speed and distance, and no fire extinguisher. Eighteen warnings were also given out for a variety of infractions, including: blue lights on boat (3), no capacity number displayed (5), registration violations (3), speed and distance (1), no Type IV throwing floatation device (3), and fire extinguisher violations (3).

Ten sobriety tests were also conducted, resulting in three boating while intoxicated arrests. Enforcement Officer Jeremy King says while you can enjoy an adult beverage on board a watercraft, they will be looking out for impaired drivers on the water. “A lot of folks when they get on the water they want to have a beer or two. That’s fine, but you can’t be driving a boat impaired. We do patrol for that very hard and we enforce that law very strictly.”

King says the legal limit is .08, which is the same as operating a vehicle on land. Officers also gave out one count of child endangerment, assisted a stranded motorist, and assisted a Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputy with a burglar alarm.