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The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be part of a multi-agency enforcement effort on the Colorado River system this weekend, checking for boaters operating under the influence.
Arizona Game and Fish, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the National Park Service, and the Mohave County Sheriff's Office will be enforcing Arizona's OUI legal limit of a .08 blood-alcohol content.
“Operating under the influence is a continuing problem on the Colorado River and its reservoirs,” said Tim Baumgarten, who coordinates safety checkpoints for the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Kingman regional office. “More than half of all boating accidents involve alcohol.”
All boaters passing through the checkpoint will be subject to a systematic safety inspection this weekend. Operators will be checked for alcohol impairment, and all boats stopped will be checked for required safety equipment, such as proper life jackets and working fire extinguishers.
“The responsibility for boating safety among watercraft users is becoming increasingly important on our waterways,” Baumgarten said. “The area is growing quickly and we share these waterways with California and Nevada. It's becoming very congested which lends itself to more potential hazards.”
Additional multi-agency OUI checkpoints will occur on the Colorado River and its reservoirs throughout the boating season.