The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office will participate in Dry water operationa national awareness and enforcement campaign focused on reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related incidents and deaths and promoting stronger and more visible deterrence of alcohol consumption and of drugs on the water, until the weekend of July 2-4, 2022.
Operation Dry Water is coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), in partnership with the US Coast Guard as well as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
These patrols will focus on all water bodies in the county to include northern Puget Sound waters, which will also be patrolled by federal and state partners, as well as local water bodies to include public lakes.
We ask that people participating in water activities be safe during this busy weekend. If you want to participate in water activities, make sure you have a designated sober operator for your boat. Under Washington State law, a vessel includes any motor, sail, or motor vessel used to cross water. This includes paddle boards, kayaks, rowboats and canoes.
Additionally, we ask that you wear your personal flotation device when participating in water sports. Statistics show that 86% of on-water deaths include people who were not wearing a PFD at the time of their death.
