GRDA Power for Progress: Water safety is always in season

Stay safe in every season
A slight hint of fall begins to touch the trees along the shoreline of Lake Hudson. If your plans for the coming months include more time on the lake or river, remember that safe boating and floating never goes out of style. Wear your life jacket and boat and float safe, smart and sober.

Power for Progress…

A weekly column from the Grand River Dam Authority

Water safety is always in season

With the 2022 Labor Day holiday now in the rearview mirror, what many consider to be the busiest part of the lake and river season is also winding down. School is back in session, the weather is slowly changing and long, hot days on the water will soon give way to fall.

However, there are plenty of lake and river enthusiasts out there who consider the fall season to be a great time for boating and floating. Since Oklahoma’s inviting waters draw visitors year-round, sharing the boating and floating safety message is a year-round priority for the GRDA Police Department.

The waters may not be quite as busy in the months ahead, but our officers will continue to share the boat and float safe, smart, and sober message. Promoting life jacket safety, offering courses in water safety education (free of charge), and maintaining a presence on the waters to help ensure safe outings are some of the key ways this message is shared. All of these are critical parts of a greater GRDA effort to be a good steward of the natural resources under its control while remaining committed to environmental stewardship.

Safe boating and floating only happens when visitors take the safety message to heart and GRDA is grateful for those who wear their life jackets, obey the rules and regulations, boat, and float sober and use common sense on the water. While our officers will always be there to lend a helping hand and promote safety, every visitor can be a good example for others. In fact, something as simple as always wearing your life jacket – on the water – can be a fantastic way to set an example for the younger generation. It is never too early to learn and embrace water safety lessons and, it’s always in season.

If you are among the many lake or river visitors who plan to visit the water this fall and even into the winter, please make sure you continue to always boat and float smart, safe and sober.

GRDA is Oklahoma’s largest public power electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees, and efficiency.