(KLFY) The Operation Dry Water Campaign from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will be in full force this holiday weekend to help keep people sober on the water.

According to the LDWF, alcohol is the leading cause of fatal boating accidents.

Agents say they will be looking for boaters with erratic speeds, dangerous course headings and boats coming too close to other vessels as warning signs that someone may be drunk while operating a boat.

In 2019, 736 local, state, and federal agencies participated in Operation Dry Water. Over the three-day heightened awareness and enforcement weekend law enforcement officers contacted 271,286 boaters, made 563 BUI arrests, and issued 34,976 citations and warnings for safety violations.

U.S. Coast Guard data shows that in boating deaths involving alcohol use, over half the victims capsized their boats and/or fell overboard. Alcohol is even more hazardous on the water than on land. The marine environment motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray accelerates a drinker’s impairment.