This is the first big summer holiday of the year and many people will take to Iowa’s rivers and lakes for the first time. Department of Natural Resources safety officer Allen Crouse says the first thing you should check is your registration.He says all registrations on boats expired in April, so you should have a new sticker on. Crouse says not all counties send out notices about the registration. He says you could get a ticket and be asked to take your boat out of the water if you don’t have the current registration. Also, be sure you have the proper equipment. He says you need to have a flotation device on board for everyone in the boat. One thing Crouse says you shouldn’t have is you’re driving a boat is alcohol. He says 35 percent of boat accidents involve alcohol, and he says if you blow point-one on the breathalyzer, you can be charged with boating while intoxicated. Crouse says all the spring rain has water levels up and could prevent some hazards. He says there are a lot of submerged logs out there, so you need to be careful of where you’re going. While people are excited about hitting the water, Crouse says the water temperature may keep things from being as crowded as usual.He says the water temperatures are still cooler, so the boat traffic may not be as heavy as if it was a lot hotter outside.
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