SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (AP) — Lew enforcement officials in Georgia are participating in a nationally coordinated effort to discourage boating under the influence.

The law enforcement division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources plans to participate in Operation Dry Water from Friday through Sunday. The initiative is meant to educate recreational boaters about the dangers of using alcohol and drugs while boating and will also include enforcement measures.

Authorities have arrested 69 people so far on Georgia lakes and waterways. They arrested 160 in 2013.

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators began Operation Dry Water in 2009 in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard. It puts thousands of officers on the water right before the Fourth of July, a holiday authorities say is known for drinking and boating.

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