DNR opens yearly boating safety campaign

FLOWERY BRANCH - The emphasis was on boating safety Friday morning at a news conference near Flowery Branch as state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rangers gear up for another summer on Lake Lanier.

They noted the expected increase in traffic on the lake because of higher water levels this year compared to recent years.

As a part of their Memorial Day weekend campaign, DNR rangers says free life jackets will be available at selected locations around Lanier.

Rangers urged that boats be inspected before they are put on the water (many for the first time since last summer or fall), that life jackets also be inspected and that an adequate number are on board, and that boaters not get carried away, zooming around the lake. Pay attention, they said, to your surroundings and, by all means, leave the alcohol on shore.