HALL COUNTY, Ga. — This weekend, area lakes and rivers will be packed with boaters, tubers and swimmers looking to cool down as temperatures near triple digits.
Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach rode along with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Lake Lanier Thursday as they get ready for the holiday weekend.
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“This is the busiest lake in the state, and possibly east of the Mississippi…and Game Wardens like this will be out patrolling in force this weekend…it’s all hands on deck going into the fourth,” Maj. Stephen Adams said.
Starting July 1, DNR game wardens will be enforcing a new 200-foot law for any wakeboards or wake surfers. That’s roughly two-thirds the length of a football field that any boat creating a wake and can be surfed has to stay away from virtually anything else on the shoreline.
That’s for all state waters, including Lake Lanier, due first to safety.
“So the wake won’t knock someone down on a dock or shoreline. The second is property…increased wave heights will cause erosion and damage to dock infrastructure as well as the shoreline,” Adams said.
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The long-standing 100-foot rule still applies to any other boats and vessels moving on the water. The other big thing officers will be looking for over the next few days is anyone boating under the influence.
Last year on Georgia waterways, 80 people died from either boating accidents or drownings. This year, there have been 28 deaths. Officials want to keep that number from growing through the holiday.
“Watch your alcohol intake and if going to drive or operate a boat, stay sober. We want to see a designated operator and we will be out in force and there will be no warnings for boating under the influence,” Adams said.
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