Encourage the Iowa legislature to reduce the blood alcohol level to 0.08 for boat operators – the same alcohol limit as for cars.

Continue the Spirit of America hands-on Youth Water Safety Education Program for twelve-year old students utilizing two resident camps at Camp Foster.

Continue the DNR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program utilizing three DNR Water Patrol Officers and three DNR Fisheries Bureau summer interns at boat ramps to prevent AIS from entering the Iowa Great Lakes.

Continue the AIS boat ramp volunteer program educating and inspecting boaters coming to the Iowa Great Lakes.

Assist the DNR and Iowa Lakeside Laboratories to hire six Student Conservation Association interns to educate boaters about the threat of Aquatic Invasive Species to the Iowa Great Lakes.

Redesign a new Water Safety Brochure for the Iowa Great Lakes. Distribute the new brochure to marinas, boat ramps, resorts, boat rental locations, bait shops, and chamber of commerce.

Worked with the DNR Natural Resource Commission to change the boat speed limit in Dickinson County from 10 to 5 MPH within 300-feet from shore. This improves swimmer safety, reduces shoreline erosion, and improves water clarity.

Continued the Spirit of America (SOA) hands-on Youth Water Safety Education Program for twelve-year old students. Camp Foster YMCA will continue as the SOA program facilitator.

Continued the DNR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program utilizing DNR Water Patrol Officers at boat ramps to prevent Aquatic Invasive Species from entering the Iowa Great Lakes.

Worked with the DNR Aquatic Invasive Species program to hire two Fisheries Bureau summer interns to educate boaters to prevent AIS from entering the Iowa Great Lakes.

Continued a volunteer AIS program to educate boaters at the 12 major boat ramps.

Assisted with the design and distribution of Iowa Great Lakes boater maps with water safety and Aquatic Invasive Species information for East and West Okoboji and Spirit Lake.

The Iowa Legislature adopted a law to requiring boaters under 13 years to age to wear a Personal Flotation Device while a boat is underway.

Continued the Spirit of America (SOA) hands-on Youth Water Safety Education Program for twelve-year old students. Camp Foster YMCA will continue as the SOA program facilitator. This year SOA was a resident camp at YMCA Camp Foster.

Continued the DNR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program utilizing DNR Water Patrol Officers at boat ramps to prevent Aquatic Invasive Species from entering the Iowa Great Lakes.

Continued a volunteer AIS program to educate boaters at the 12 major boat ramps.

Installed six additional poster window boxes at busy boat ramps to display water safety and water quality information.

Installed twelve “see-through” literature boxes at the busiest boat ramps to provide water safety and Invasive Species brochures. The new literature boxes provide a tighter seal to protect the brochures from rain damage.

Provided the DNR two additional specialized two-way portable radios for DNR Dock Enforcement Officers to provide water safety during emergencies.

Continued the Spirit of America (SOA) hands-on Youth Water Safety Education Program for twelve-year old students. Camp Foster YMCA will continue as the SOA program facilitator. in addition to the 2006 – 2007 Okoboji, Spirit Lake, and Harris-Lake Park schools; the Spencer and Estherville schools were added this year.

Continued the DNR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program utilizing DNR Water Patrol Officers at boat ramps to prevent Aquatic Invasive Species from entering the Iowa Great Lakes.

Organized and launched a volunteer AIS program to supplement the DNR Water Patrol Officers to educate boaters at the 12 major boat ramps.

One of the 2007 water safety legislation initiatives was adopted by the Iowa legislature and signed by the Governor. The crime of eluding a Lake Patrol officer is now a more serious crime – depending on the circumstances, it can be a felony.

Equipped each ambulance and law enforcement vehicle in the lakes area with water safety throw lines and Personal Flotation Device. Funding was provided by the Dickinson County Endowment Fund.

Designed, produced, and distributed a new water safety brochure using improved graphics to educate boaters and lake users about helpful water safety and water quality information. Funding provided by the BoatUS Foundation.

Recommended the DNR install lighted hazard navigation buoys on the Iowa Great Lakes. The lighted buoys were installed for the 2007 summer.

Conducted a fund raising campaign to fund water safety and water quality projects.

Built ten additional Information Kiosks at the busiest boat ramps in the Iowa Great Lakes area to provide water safety and water quality information.

Supported the second year Spirit of America hands-on Youth Water Safety Education Program for twelve-year old students. Camp Foster YMCA was the SOA program facilitator. Okoboji, Spirit Lake, and Harris-Lake Park schools participated. Read Spirit of America article in 2007 Vacation Okoboji magazine.

Continued the 2006 Aquatic Invasive Species program utilizing DNR Water Safety Officers at boat ramps to educate boaters and conduct inspections of boaters entering the Iowa Great Lakes.

Proposed six new Iowa water safety legislation initiatives. A tougher penalty for leaving the scene of a boat accident was by passed the legislature and was signed by the Governor. Became effective July 1, 2006.

Organized an Aquatic Invasive Species program to prevent AIS from entering the Iowa Great Lakes. Three additional DNR Water Patrol Officers were hired to educate boaters on how to prevent the transportation of Invasive Species. The new officers were stationed at the busiest boat ramps during the busiest hours of usage.

Participated and assisted in a public discussion of a nighttime boat speed limit proposed by the East Okoboji Lakes Improvement Lakes Improvement Corporation. A 25 MPH nighttime speed limit was approved by the DNR on March 9, 2006.

Provided part of the funds to equip the Arnolds Park – Okoboji Water Rescue and Dive Team with additional float coats.

Organized and launched a Spirit of America hands-on Youth Water Safety Education Program for seventh graders in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Camp Foster YMCA is the SOA program facilitator. Okoboji and Spirit Lake schools participated this year. Other schools will be added in 2007.

Provided Personal Flotation Devices to Iowa Lakeside Laboratory for youth educational programs. PFD’s donated by BoatUS Foundation.

Performed a test of a flashing hazard navigation buoy prior to recommending the installation of lighted buoys for all hazard navigation buoys on the Iowa Great Lakes.

The Water Safety Council was presented the 2004 National Water Safety Congress Midwest regional award. The NWSC Midwest region covers eleven Midwestern states. The award recognizes the WSC for its contributions as to water safety issues and programs. It is the highest regional award presented by the National Water Safety Congress.

Two highway billboards were installed to encourage kids to wear life jackets.

Billboard space and artwork for 2005 and 2006 were funded in part by a grant from the National Water Safety Congress and the National Safe Boating Council in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety /Aquatic Resource Trust Fund.

A second WSC supplied Lake Patrol boat was purchased and equipped for the Okoboji interconnected lakes. The new boat is a Baja Intruder law enforcement model that was equipped by the Water Safety Council with special equipment: 1) a multi-channel two-way radio for contact with rescue, ambulance, fire, and city, county, and state law enforcement and 2) a Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining accurate positions on the water and 3) a Sonar unit for locating objects under water. The boat is 25-feet in length to handle the wind waves and boat chop found on East and West Okoboji. This boat joins three DNR provided patrol boats and the first Water Safety Council provided boat at the Gull Point Lake Patrol Station.

During the 2005 Iowa legislative session the Water Safety Council along with great community support was successful in providing increased DNR funding for water safety and fighting invasive species. A modest increase in boat registration fees is providing the increased support.

An Information Kiosk was installed between the State Pier and the Preservation Plaza (Green Space) in the Arnolds Park Amusement Park to consolidate water safety and water quality messages.

Made float coats available to Dickinson County law enforcement officers. In many cases police or deputy sheriff officers are the first to arrive at the scene of water emergencies since they are the closest to the scene. Float coats are a padded jacket that also acts as a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Purchased an identical GPS and Sonar unit for the Lakes Area Fire & Rescue Boat to the one used on the new 25-foot Baja Intruder Lake Patrol boat. The use of identical units will reduce training time and will facilitate comparing readings between the two boats.

Purchased and installed a WeatherNET weather station at the Gull Point Lake Patrol Station to generate real time weather information on the WSC website. This installation also includes an Internet camera with pan, tilt, and zoom lens to provide a variety of West Okoboji views.

Purchased a Lake Patrol boat to be used by the DNR on the Okoboji interconnected lakes. The boat is equipped with a special two-way radio that includes channels for police, fire, rescue, ambulance, state radio and marine safety channels.

Purchased a laptop computer and projector to be used in presenting water safety courses.

Designed and printed 8,000 four-color water safety brochures with Iowa Great Lakes information. They are distributed through local marinas, resorts, boat ramps, Spirit Lake Mainsail, and the Maritime Museum. Funding support received from the National Water Safety Congress.

Launched a “Life Jackets for Kids” program in conjunction with three local marinas with the sponsorship of the BoatUS Foundation.

Replaced the boater information signs at the bridges between East and West Lake Okoboji with a contribution from the University of Okoboji Tennis Classic.

Placed Carbon Monoxide warning signs at boat ramps, through a grant from the BoatUS Foundation, warning boaters of the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Placed “Boat Noise Law Enforced” signs at the walking bridge between East and West Okoboji, boat ramps, and marinas.

Purchased eight types of specialized Personal Flotation Devices for demonstration at water safety training classes. Funding support received from the National Water Safety Congress.

Sponsored boater safety-training courses in partnership with the DNR and the Iowa Lakes Community College – at four locations. Person’s age 12-17 that pass the test will receive their Iowa certification to operate a PWC on Iowa waters. (The Iowa certificate is valid in most states with similar PWC or boater certification requirements.)

Improved the radio communications equipment for the Lake Patrol. This equipment included six multi-channel portable radios, a repeater station to increase portable communications range, and a multi-channel base station at the Gull Point Lake Patrol Station. The multi-channel radios enhance communications with fire-rescue squads, ambulances, local police, sheriff’s officers, and state troupers in the lakes area and the Emergency Communications 911 Center in Spirit Lake.

Provided two portable radios with noise canceling headsets for the Ice Rescue Air Boat operated by the Arnolds Park – Okoboji Rescue Squad.

Purchased a desktop computer and wireless Internet access at the Gull Point Lake Patrol Station.

Purchased a professional noise meter, in partnership with three of the area’s lake protective associations, to measure motorboat noise levels for the enforcement of the Model Noise Act.

Purchased boating education manuals with boating information and the test necessary to achieve personal watercraft certification for person’s age 12 to 17 years of age.

Purchased PFD’s and float coats for the Lake Patrol and the Spirit Lake PWC Rescue Swimmer Team.

Purchased a boat hoist for the Lake Patrol.

Contributed $1,000 towards the purchase of the new Lakes Area Fire & Rescue Boat