April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit will be out in force on county lakes for the July 4 holiday weekend as part of Operation Dry Water, a national awareness and enforcement campaign to reduce alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities on the water.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard encouraged residents and visitors to enjoy the July 1-3 holiday with family and friends but to do it safely. Oakland County is a popular destination for water sports with its 450 navigable lakes and 83,000 registered boats, the most of any county in Michigan. Additional marine deputy patrols will be on the lakes for the holiday weekend.

“We know the Fourth of July holiday is the focal point of summer for many families,” Bouchard said. “We want everyone to enjoy the many things that make Oakland County such an attractive destination, but we want the holiday to be a safe one. No matter whether you’re behind the wheel of a car or operating a boat, don’t drink alcohol and drive. Protect yourself, your family, and your friends.”

The Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit – the largest in the state – has more than 45 part-time Marine Deputies who can quickly respond to emergencies on any of the lakes in the county. The unit includes the 17-member Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, comprised of full-time deputies who are highly trained in search and rescue and public safety diving. They can dive in virtually any weather or water condition.

The unit has 23 patrol boats, two rapid response jump boats, one hovercraft, seven all-terrain vehicles and four specialty boats for search and rescue emergencies.

The Sheriff’s Office also contracts with 12 communities to patrol 19 lakes: Cass Lake, Cedar Island Lake, Deer Lake, Lake Orion, Lower Straits Lake, Lake Sherwood, Lakeville Lake, Maceday Lake, North Commerce Lake, Orchard Lake, Pine Lake, South Commerce Lake, Sylvan Lake, Upper Long Lake, Voorheis Lake, Walled Lake, Walnut Lake, White Lake, and Williams Lake.

Operation Dry Water was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and local, state, and federal law enforcement.

In 2022, 630 local, state, and federal agencies and 7,800 officers participated in Operation Dry Water. Over the three-day heightened awareness weekend, law enforcement officers made 794 boating under the influence arrests and issued 45,067 citations and warnings for safety violations.

It is illegal in every state to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which includes canoes and rowboats.

Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is against federal and most state laws.