The Northwoods’ population is expected to swell for the long holiday weekend.
With temperatures forecasted in the 80s and the smoke hopefully moving out, you can expect a lot of people to be out on the water.
DNR Wardens will also be in boats as part of the national “Operation Dry Water” campaign.
It’s to discourage people from boating and drinking.
Lt. Darren Kuhn says alcohol can impact people fast out on the water.
“When mixing the waves, the water, the heat, the sun, alcohol impacts people significantly faster than it would normally on dry ground. This poses a whole slew of problems on our waterways,” said Kuhn.
Twenty people died in boating accidents last year in Wisconsin.
The DNR encourages people to have a designated boat operator like you would a designated driver.
“In a lot of ways, operating a boat may not seem as dangerous as operating a car, it is. People are used to driving cars. They know where the breaks are. Boats don’t have breaks. They know where the seatbelts are. Boats don’t have seatbelts. There’s no airbags. There’s no safety features that are in modern day automobiles on a boat,” said Kuhn.
The DNR also says people should wear lifejackets when on a boat.
In the 20 deaths last year, only two people were wearing life jackets.
Anyone born after January 1, 1989 needs a boating safety certificate to operate a boat.
Kuhn says it’s also important to keep an eye on the weather.
Each day this weekend has a chance for thunderstorms.
