The Operation Dry Water campaign will run from July 3 to July 5. The effort aims to reduce alcohol- and drug-related incidents on the state’s lakes, rivers and other bodies of water.
Iowa will increase enforcement on its waterways during Fourth of July weekend as part of Operation Dry Water, a national campaign focused on reducing boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The operation will run from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, with participation from state, federal and local agencies. In Iowa, the campaign will also enforce the state’s boating while intoxicated (BWI) laws, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported.
Operation Dry Water takes place each year around the Fourth of July, one of the busiest periods for recreational boating. The 2026 national campaign is also scheduled for July 3-5, according to the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.
The campaign will focus on boating under the influence
The Iowa DNR reported that alcohol, legal and illegal drugs, and some medications can affect the judgment, balance, vision and reaction time needed to operate a vessel safely.
Those effects can be intensified by sun exposure, wind and wave action, common conditions during long summer outings on the water.
The campaign aims to reduce alcohol- and drug-related incidents and deaths while strengthening enforcement of Iowa’s BWI laws.
Rachel Alliss, boating education coordinator for the Iowa DNR, said recognizing that impaired boating is as dangerous as impaired driving is vital to preventing incidents and saving lives.
Passengers also face risks on the water
The Iowa DNR indicated that alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating fatalities.
The risk of serious injury is not limited to the person operating the boat. Intoxicated passengers can slip, fall overboard or experience other life-threatening incidents.
Alliss said one-third of boating fatalities nationwide involved alcohol. She also noted that many of the victims were not operating the vessel.
The DNR highlighted three safety points for those heading out on the water during the weekend: stay sober and alert, wear a life jacket and take a boating safety education course.
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Iowa recorded 382 citations or warnings in 2025
During Operation Dry Water in 2025, the Iowa DNR and its partners interacted with more than 1,230 vessels carrying 5,036 people.
That operation resulted in 382 citations or warnings.
The data show officer presence in areas with heavy recreational activity, including reservoirs, lakes and sections of the Mississippi River. This year’s campaign will continue the same enforcement and prevention approach during the July 3-5 period.
Operation Dry Water operates year-round as an awareness campaign on boating under the influence, but its high-visibility weekend is held annually around the Fourth of July.
Coralville Reservoir and Mississippi River were among the areas with the most arrests
In 2025, the areas with the most BWI arrests during Operation Dry Water were Coralville Reservoir, with five; Mississippi River, with four; and Rathbun Reservoir, with four.
Clear Lake and Lake Manawa recorded one arrest each. The statewide total for BWI arrests during the 2025 operation was 21.
In 2024, Coralville Reservoir recorded four arrests, while Clear Lake, Lake Manawa and Rathbun Reservoir had one each. The statewide total that year was 13 BWI arrests.
In 2023, Iowa recorded 27 BWI arrests during Operation Dry Water. The leading areas were Okoboji, with five; Rathbun Reservoir, with four; Clear Lake and Saylorville Reservoir, with three each; and Coralville Reservoir, Lake Manawa and Mississippi River, with two each.
The operation will cover the holiday weekend
Operation Dry Water will be active from July 3 to July 5 in Iowa. The campaign will coincide with family outings, lake activities, recreational boating and travel for Fourth of July weekend.
Water enforcement will focus on boating under the influence, safety equipment use and compliance with BWI laws.
The Iowa DNR published the campaign on June 30 ahead of the holiday period. The national high-visibility operation will run from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5.
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