HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Environmental conservation police are stepping up patrols of Connecticut's waterways and enforcing the state's boating under the influence laws.

Operation Dry Water Weekend will run through Sunday. It's part of a nationally coordinated effort to increase public knowledge about the dangers of operating a vessel while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says there will be a focus Saturday on the lower portion of the Connecticut River.

In 2016, there were 50 boating accidents on Connecticut's waterways. Of those, there were three fatalities, 25 accidents with at least one injury and 22 with no injuries.

Colonel Kyle Overturf says alcohol impairs judgment and reaction time on the water the same way it does when someone is driving a car on the road.