Operation Dry Water: Stay safe while boating over holiday weekend

MOOSE, Wyo. (KIFI) — Grand Teton National Park will participate in “Operation Dry Water,” a nationwide awareness effort to promote safe boating over the holiday weekend, July 1-3. Visitors are reminded to always operate boats safely, while considering others on the water. 

As part of Operation Dry Water, rangers will increase patrols on all park waters as well as conduct vessel safety inspections. These inspections are meant to ensure boaters have all the requisite safety gear on board including:

• Approved U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) personal floatation devices (PFDs), in appropriate sizes for all persons in the boat. Passengers 12 years of age and under must wear a PFD at all times while onboard.
• A sound-making device such as an air horn or whistle for emergencies.
• Navigation lights for all watercraft that will operate at night.
• A USCG approved throwable flotation device such as a seat cushion or ring buoy. These are required on all motorized vessels 16 feet in length or longer.
• Fire extinguishers for motorized vessels.

Rangers will provide boating safety inspections and check required paperwork, including boat registration, Wyoming Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) decal, and a Grand Teton National Park boat permit.

Rangers will also perform increased lake and river patrols, increasing awareness about the dangers of operating a boat under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths in the United States. It is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher.

All boats are required to have a park boat permit prior to launching on any water in Grand Teton, including canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and inflatable watercraft. A park non-motorized boat permit is $25, and a motorized boat permit is $75. Boating permits can be purchased at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose and the Colter Bay Visitor Center, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The permit is valid through the calendar year in which purchased.

A Wyoming State Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) decal is also required and can be purchased online or from a variety of local vendors.

The park is working in partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to provide education, watercraft inspections, and monitoring to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species into Wyoming.

All watercraft entering the state of Wyoming, including Grand Teton National Park, must be inspected by an authorized AIS inspector prior to launching on waters within the state. Recreationists transporting any watercraft, including non-motorized vessels such as canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and inflatables are required to stop at every open inspection station in Wyoming or Grand Teton National Park. Park inspection stations are located in Moose, adjacent to the post office, and in Moran, north of the Moran Entrance Station. The stations operate daily 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through September 10.

Watercraft that are dirty or have standing water will require a more in-depth inspection and potentially decontamination. As in past years, park boat inspectors are issuing visitors an inspection verification card upon completion of the inspection. Frequent visitors should carry this card with them to expedite the inspection process during future visits.

Everyone boating and recreating on Jackson Lake is reminded to respect other recreationists. Boaters on the lake have many different interests, including fishing, wildlife watching, access to wilderness, and water sports. Music should be kept to a reasonable volume and adequate space given to other boats.

Learn more about Operation Dry Water by visiting www.operationdrywater.org. Information on boating in Grand Teton can be found at go.nps.gov/tetonboating.