The Coast Guard and the Alaska State Troopers will be teaming up this weekend for Operation Dry Water, an annual initiative that aims to discourage drug and alcohol use on boats.

Megan Peters with the Alaska State Troopers says that Operation Dry Water is meant to be more informative than punitive.

“It’s not just so we can bust people for BUI. We don’t like going around giving tickets or arresting people. That’s not the main purpose of our job,” says Peters. “Overall, law enforcement’s main goal is to really get people to just follow the laws and be safe.”

Operation Dry Water isn’t just an Alaska thing. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators collaborates with the Coast Guard and law enforcement agencies across the country to increase safe boating awareness. Peters says that Alaska is somewhat different from other states and that she doesn’t expect a substantial number of infractions here because of the large commercial fleet.

“We’re not expecting to have a whole bunch of BUI on boats because a lot of people are at work when they’re on the water,” says Peters. “But in the summertime when it’s beautiful in Alaska, people also use their vessels to go have fun – to go from one point to another, to just enjoy being on the water, to go fishing. There’s not an open container law on boats, so people can legally drink on vessels. But if you’re going to be operating that vessel, that’s where you’re going to come afoul of the law.”

Peters adds that State Troopers and Coast Guardsmen will also be available this weekend to answer boaters’ questions about safety.

During last year’s operation Dry Water, law enforcement officers in Alaska made one arrest for a BUI -- boating under the influence. They also issued 49 citations and 37 warnings for other violations not related to alcohol or drug use.

For more information on Operation Dry Water, which runs from June 24 to June 26, visit the NASBLA website.