BALD EAGLE STATE PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) — Conservation officers at Bald Eagle State Park are gearing up for a busy holiday weekend, which means looking out for safety violations.

Centre County Waterways Conservation Officer Dalton Hopper says he and others are going to have to spend extra time on patrol during the July 4 weekend. The patrols are out looking to keep boaters safe by finding violations like boating under the influence (BUI).

“Once we see that violation, we’ll hone in on it, make a vessel stop. Through that personal contact phase, we see those other indicators such as bloodshot, glassy eyes, or smell of alcoholic beverage,” Hopper said.

Routine safety stops to check for items like a valid boat registration or life jackets can also happen.

The enhanced patrolling will be happening statewide between July 3 and 5, with the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission dubbing it “Operation Dry Water.” Sayers Lake at Bald Eagle State Park already prohibits alcohol, but it requires officers to be alert.

“Sayers Lake being a dry lake, we don’t run into it all the time, but it’s something that we do keep an eye on; we do run into it. Compared to other lakes where you might have it all the time,” Hopper said.

According to the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission, roughly a third of its BUI arrests in 2025 happened the weekend of July 4.

“This weekend brings a lot of recreational boaters and people fishing. So we step up our time out here on the water as well,” Hopper said.

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