With the weather continuing to warm up, more people will be on the water and an expert in Dallas County provides safety recommendations to follow.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources Dallas County Conservation Officer Dustin Eighmy acknowledges that this is a prime time for people to hit the local lakes and rivers with a variety of species of fish out in the water. He notes that he’s spotting lots of panfish, croppies, bluegills, and swanning bass just south of Dallas County in Badger Creek. Eighmy passes on advice for people to remember when they’re out on the water.

“One thing to keep in mind is rivers are always changing (and) they don’t always stay the same. So there’s lots of debris that comes down through the rivers whether that’s logs or the sandbar has changed and the channel has changed, and usually it’s murky water so you can’t see very far down into it if at all. You want to make sure you have a float plan in place. Let someone know, a family member or a friend, where you’re going, when you plan to start, and when you plan to get back. That way if severe weather comes in, you can have a plan in place, you can get ahold of someone. It is a good option (to) take your cellphone, make sure it’s charged (and) take plenty of water.”

Eighmy cautions people to always check the weather ahead of time before venturing out in a boat to identify potential severe weather coming in. He adds that when on the boat, all individuals should be wearing life jackets in case of an emergency.