STAFF REPORTS
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 10:34 PM MST
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced its participation in a multiagency OUI checkpoint slated for the Colorado River this weekend.
The effort also includes the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Lake Havasu City Police Department, Mohave County Sheriff?s Office, San Bernardino County Sheriff?s Department, Arizona State Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All agencies are set to enforce Arizona?s .08 blood-alcohol limit for watercraft operators.
?A large number of boating accidents involve alcohol,? said Jodi Niccum, AZGFD-Yuma office safety-checkpoint coordinator, in a prepared statement. ?Removing impaired boaters from the waterways is a critical element in creating a safe, enjoyable recreational environment for the public.?
All boaters passing through the checkpoint will be subject to a systematic safety inspection. Operators will be checked for alcohol impairment, and all boats will be examined for required safety equipment, including proper life jackets and working fire extinguishers.
AZGFD officials advise boaters to review boating-law requirements prior to launching.
Boating laws from California, Nevada and Arizona can be reviewed at
www.boatcoloradoriver.com after selecting the Colorado River tab and following the boating laws link, according to earlier reports.
Additional OUI checkpoints will be in effect on the Colorado River and its reservoirs through this boating season.
AZGFD encourages boaters to take part in a boating education class. The next class in Havasu is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Water Safety Center, 1801 State Route 95. Cost is $5 per family. For more information call AZGFD wildlife manager Dee Pfleger at 928-680-0359 or visit
www.azgfd.gov/boating.