This weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer and a lot of us will be headed to the lake.

With the forecast calling for sunny to partly cloudy skies and temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, this Memorial Day weekend, many of us will be having some fun in the sun on the lake. This weekend will be one of the busy weekends for traffic on the lake - just like July 4th weekend and Labor Day weekends. With more boats, personal water craft and floats on the lake we've got to be on top of our game while having some fun.

As part of National Safe Boating Week (May 18-24), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement will be patrolling area lakes reminding boaters to follow the law and take basic safety precautions while on the lake. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, there were 29 boating fatalities on Texas lakes last year in addition to hundreds of accidents while on the water.

TPWD Asst. Commander for Marine Enforcement Cody Jones says,

Texas Game Wardens will be out in full force this weekend to ensure the public enjoys their time on the water responsibly, but we need boaters to make sure they are taking safety seriously, too. Most of the tragic deaths and serious injuries that occurred in Texas waters last year could have been prevented by following a few simple and important steps – wearing a life jacket and using a safety ignition kill switch."

In addition to a boats' motor kill switch and life jackets, those getting on the water should remember the following:

  • Life jackets for each member on a boat or paddle craft
  • Children under the age of 13 are required to wear a life jacket at all times while on the water, even when drifting or idling

TPWD officers will also be patrolling area lakes watching for those that may be boating under the influence. Operating a boat with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08 is considered an offense and can be punishable by the law.

Just following a few simple guidelines while on the lake this Memorial Day Weekend can lead to an awesome and memorable Memorial Day Weekend.

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