Lyon County continues life jacket giveaway for Boating Safety Week
By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
Game wardens from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and other boating safety experts are reminding boaters about life jackets, safe boating classes and the danger of invasive species during National Safe Boating Week May 21-27, leading into Memorial Day weekend—the traditional kickoff to boating season in Northern Nevada.
The two most important boating messages this year are life jackets and preventing the spread of invasive species, such as quagga mussels. The quagga mussel threat has taken on new urgency this year with a preliminary positive result in Lahontan and Rye Patch Reservoirs that still must be validated, but the most important safety message remains life jackets.
“Just like last year, we want to focus on getting boaters to wear life jackets,” said Game Warden Captain David Pfiffner, Nevada’s boating law administrator. “Statistics show that most boaters who die in fatal boating accidents could have been saved if they had only worn this critical safety device. We just can’t emphasize life jackets enough.”
As part of this effort, several organizations and agencies are holding a life jacket kick-off event all weekend long at Lahontan Reservoir.
The program, started last year by Lyon County Search and Rescue, distributes free life jackets primarily to children, although some adult jackets are also available. This year, Lyon County Search and Rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, Nevada State Parks and NDOW will all be at Lahontan throughout the weekend providing information on a variety of safety issues and clean boating topics, in addition to giving away life jackets.
“We had no fatal accidents on Lahontan last year,” said Lieutenant Brian Veil of Lyon County Sheriff’s Department. “We don’t know how much of a difference our program makes in the numbers, but we are convinced that the lake is safer when we can create a life jacket and safety culture.”
The emphasis on life jackets is a part of the national “Wear It” campaign, sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council.
This year, NDOW will be taking its “Wear It” mobile education trailer with life jackets, education courses, pamphlets and other safety materials to boat ramps all over Northern Nevada for events announced throughout the summer that will promote safety.
A preliminary discovery of quagga mussels at Rye Patch and Lahontan Reservoirs complicates the traditional kickoff to Nevada’s boating season, although those results still have to be confirmed.
Even if validated, biologists stress that boating and fishing conditions are still great and that water enthusiasts can swim, boat and fish without any health concerns. The most important thing to remember about the potential quagga infestation is that boaters and sportsmen should take basic steps to prevent the spread by cleaning, draining and drying all boats and equipment between uses on any waterway.
“Although we still don’t have the final results of the quagga tests, we should treat each waterway as if it’s infected. But we still have great water conditions this year, and the fishing and boating should be the best we’ve seen in years,” said Mark Warren, Chief of the Fisheries Division at NDOW.
Between invasive species, life jackets and other safety messages, boaters may sometimes feel overwhelmed with information.
The best way for boaters to learn what they need to know to be prepared for any boating situation is to take a boating education course.
Courses are offered online, via correspondence course from NDOW or from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Boaters born on or after January 1, 1983 who operate a motorboat of 15 horsepower or more on Nevada’s interstate waters, such as Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake, are required by law to have a boating education card.
Boaters can learn all about course options, get free course books, or find open classes summer long at www.ndow.org.
“With lots of water and great boating, we expect to see more people on the waterways. The best way to stay safe is to know what you’re doing, and a boating education course can teach you everything you need to know before you go,” said Pfiffner.
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