Oakland County to increase patrols on lakes through holiday weekend
This Fourth of July holiday weekend, law enforcement in Oakland County will step up patrols on the lakes. It's part of a nationwide campaign called Operation Dry Water.
"We're going to have deputies moving throughout all those lakes within the county," said Lt. Brian Burwell with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Marine Search and Rescue Unit.
On Friday, deputies launched their boat at Orchard Lake as part of Operation Dry Water.
"Operation Dry Water is a national campaign to raise awareness of boating under the influence," said Burwell.
In 2025, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that participated in this national campaign issued 8,577 safety violation citations while boating and made over 500 arrests for those under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Burwell says that in roughly 80% of boating accidents, alcohol plays a role. The mission behind this enforcement is prevention.
"We're looking for reckless operation, we're looking for people not paying attention, we're obviously looking for people consuming too much alcohol and shouldn't be operating a boat," said Burwell.
Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest times on the water, and for these deputies, safety is at the forefront.
Nobody starts their day expecting to be involved in a boating accident. People are out on the water, and they don't realize that alcohol is affecting them more. They're under the sun, obviously, the extreme temperatures this weekend, people are going to drink a little bit more, and they don't realize they're being affected, their judgment is being impaired by that alcohol, and that's when these accidents happen," said Burwell.
Orchard Lake is one of 19 lakes to be patrolled in Oakland County this holiday weekend.
Before venturing out on the water, Burwell encourages folks to prepare by checking for life jackets on board, ensuring their vessel has gas, and always communicating their location to others.
"Take a boater's safety class, understanding the rules of the lake, understanding what to do in an emergency. A lot of people we run into a lot of them are just misinformed," said Burwell.
Though the sheriff's office will be out in full force, Burwell said that his team's primary goal is to educate.
"We can't stress enough... wear those life jackets, swim in designated swim areas, and drink in moderation. We want people to come out and have a great time, we want to raise awareness, but we want people to have a safe holiday weekend," he said.