PORTLAND, Ore. - As we head into the Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants to remind folks to stay safe while enjoying Oregon's waterways.

To ensure a safe recreation experience, they are offering the following tips:

BOATING SAFETY

• Know the boating rules. Educated boaters are less likely to be involved in accidents. Boaters 60 and younger must carry a boater education card when operating powerboats (including personal watercraft or any motorized watercraft) greater than 10 hp in Oregon. Go to http://www.boat-ed.com/or/ to sign up for a boater education course, which is required to obtain a card.
• Boat safe. Make sure your boat has all the required safety equipment, including personal floatation devices, fire extinguishers, visual distress signals, sound-producing devices, first-aid kit, and a flashlight.
• Wear your life jacket!  Each boat must have a life jacket in good shape and readily accessible for each person on board. All youth ages 12 and younger must wear a life jacket when in the boat. Life jackets save lives.
• Use caution and obey signs. Always obey the "5-mph, slow-no-wake" buoys or signs. Wakes can cause bank erosion and damage docks and other property. Remember to slow down within 200 feet of a dock, launch ramp, marina, moorage, floating home, pier or swim float. Boaters also need to operate at slow-no-wake speeds within 200 feet of a shoreline on a lake, bay or reservoir, and be especially cautious around swimmers, surfers, anglers and diving flags.
• Never launch a dirty boat.  Prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species by inspecting your boat and trailer, draining your motor, wet well and bilge and emptying your bait bucket on land before leaving the area, thoroughly washing your boat and trailer with high-pressure, hot water if available and allowing your boat and trailer to air dry as long as possible. For additional information, go to http://www.oregon.gov/OISC/boating.shtml.
• Be prepared. File a float plan with someone who is not going with you to document where you are going and how long you will be gone. Check the weather forecast before you go. Perform a vessel systems checklist to ensure all parts of the vessel are in proper working order. View Coast Guard boating safety resources at http://www.uscgboating.org/ and review your state laws at http://www.osmb.state.or.us/.
• Boat sober. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that alcohol is a major factor in a third of all recreational boating fatalities nationwide. Leave alcohol behind. Boat safe, boat sober.

ANCHORING IN NAVIGABLE WATERS

• Swift currents, high flows and cold water present unique boating and anchoring conditions on many rivers. To anchor safely, use anchor lines that are five to seven times the depth of the water. River depth may exceed 100 feet in some places, requiring long anchor lines.
• Be sure to use a float for the anchor line to serve as a buffer and to reduce the risk of getting the anchor line caught in the propeller. Lower, don't throw the anchor to avoid line tangles. Anchor only off the bow; anchoring off the stern or side can capsize your boat.
• For more information about anchor safety, please visit the Corps' online brochure page at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pa/pubs.asp.

KAYAKING SAFETY

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the American Canoe Association (http://www.americancanoe.org ) offers some basic safety tips:

• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket.
• Be comfortable in the water, out of your boat.
• Obtain the knowledge, skills and ability necessary for kayaking and canoeing.
• Always boat with a group. Three boats is a recommended minimum.
• Know how to self-rescue. Practice! Practice! Practice!
• File a float plan, with friends, family, or the authorities.
• Bring appropriate safety, rescue, and navigational aids, and more than adequate food,  water, and extra protective clothing. Do not wear cotton!
• Pick an activity level that matches your ability, and progress to more demanding challenges.
• Monitor your physical and emotional condition, and watch the other members or your group for fatigue, illness, and changes in behavior.
• Know and follow all local, state and federal laws.
• Be visible - wear bright colors so others can see you between waves or in the fog. Carry a bright light, flares, and whistle to signal your position.
• Take a boating safety class offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

SWIMMING SAFETY

• Learn to swim. Make sure you and all your family members know how to swim. Most people drown within 10 to 30 feet of safety.
• Never swim alone. Always swim with a buddy, and if possible, only swim in a designated swim area.
• Wear a life jacket. Never rely on inflatable toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat.
• Reach or throw, but don't go. To help someone in trouble, reach something out to the person or throw an object that floats, but don't go in the water.
• Look before you leap. Never dive head-first into lakes and rivers. All too often, rock outcrops or shallow water lead to tragic results.
• Alcohol and water don't mix. More than half of all drowning fatalities involve alcohol. When recreating on the water, play it safe and leave the alcohol behind.
• Watch children around water. It only takes a few seconds for a child to wander away and they could easily get into trouble if they get into the water alone.

COLD WATER SURVIVAL

Many suspected drowning victims actually die from cold exposure or hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition in which the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Violent shivering develops, which may give way to confusion and loss of body movement. Cold water survival tips are important, even in the summertime, as water temperatures in the Pacific Northwest can stay cold throughout the year.

• If you fall in the water, do not discard clothing that may keep you warm, including your shoes, hat and life jacket.
• Draw your limbs into your body and keep armpits and groin areas protected from unnecessary exposure.
• Remember, hypothermia from cold water may occur in any season.