Archive of Spotlight Feature Articles

Clean Marinas: Coming to a Harbor Near You

By Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant

Clean Marinas logo

Though each Clean Marina Program is customized for its particular area, the following are seven general topic areas included in each program. Under each topic area, a marina operator will find a series of best management practices to implement. When enough of the best management practices are in place (usually 70-85%, depending on the CMP), the marina is designated a Clean Marina.

Marina Siting, Design, and Maintenance
Sewage Handling
Fuel Control
Solid Waste Management
Vessel Cleaning and Repair
Stormwater Management and Erosion Control
Marina Management

Boaters cruising and docking in the northern Gulf of Mexico will find a pleasant surprise this summer—marinas that are cleaner and more efficient. This new offering is the result of two new Sea Grant-coordinated “Clean Marina Programs:” one in Louisiana, and a bi-state program in Alabama and Mississippi. The first Clean Marina Program (CMP) began 12 years ago in Maryland. As a result of the program's success, there are now 11 established Clean Marina Programs along the Nation's coasts with an additional six under development.

“Clean Marina Programs are voluntary programs aimed at helping marinas improve those parts of their operations that impact the environment,” says Tim Reid, Communications Coordinator for Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. “The result is that the marina operates in a more efficient and environmentally-friendly manner. In return, the marina should see long-term cost savings and increased income from boaters looking for clean marinas at which to stay.”

Clean marinas such as Zeke's in this waterfront panorama should prove profitable for operators while benefitting the environment.

Zeke's Marina in Orange Beach, AL is one of the first marinas to pledge to work toward its Clean Marina certification in the new bi-state program.

Several Sea Grant programs are working with marine operators to establish clean marinas around the country. Reid, who is coordinating the development of the Alabama-Mississippi (AL-MS) CMP, says the main objective of each CMP is to educate marina operators about water quality issues at their marinas and then provide assistance to the operators in implementing established best management practices that address these issues. The clean marina designation demonstrates that that marina has gone above and beyond compliance with the required federal, state and local regulations. With this seal of approval, the marina can be held up as a model for others to follow as well as a “quality standard” for boaters shopping for a place to dock.

The water at this dock not only looks clear and inviting, it definitely is cleaner because of voluntary participation in a Clean Marina Program.

The Clean Marina Program includes instructing marina tenants (both leasers and transient boaters) on the clean boating practices that the marina requires the tenants to follow. These practices usually dealing with wastewater, garbage, recycling, boat maintenance, and fueling.

Clean Marina Programs are usually developed and run by a partnership of state and local agencies, as well as a number of environmentally-minded organizations. The AL-MS CMP Management Team includes representatives from the department of marine resources, both states' EPA offices and the Mobile National Estuary Program. The CMP's Advisory Committee also includes marina operators, chamber of commerce representatives, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sea Grant has been instrumental in bringing these groups together.

“We have 29 people on our advisory committee. We are trying to get input from all sides so that this program is well-rounded and complete,” says Reid. “And, the marina operators have provided some of the best suggestions so far.”

Reid says most marina operators are aware of some water quality issues at their facilities, but may not know what to do about them, or may feel they are too costly to address. One of the key services the AL-MS CMP Program provides is assistance to marina operators in finding the most efficient and economical way of implementing the program's best management practices. “Each marina is different, but we're able to draw on over a decade of clean marina experience from other programs around the country,” he says.

How a Clean Marina Program Works

A marina operator signs a pledge to work with the CMP toward a “Clean Marina” designation. The operator receives a guidebook explaining the best management practices, why they are needed and how to implement them. The operator then takes a self-audit of his facility to identify problem areas. The CMP's clean marina coordinator provides guidance as needed—assisting operators with ideas and answers to questions, providing boater education or signage for the marina, identifying grant opportunities, or tracking down technical assistance.

Once the operator feels he or she has completed the required best management practices, a review team from the CMP performs a walk-through of the facility to confirm the best management practices are in place. If so, the facility receives its Clean Marina designation at an award ceremony, providing an excellent opportunity for media attention and public recognition.

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is an organization of nine institutions which conduct research, education, and advisory service activities that foster the stewardship and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources for the benefit of the public in Mississippi and Alabama. It supports research and activities mainly in coastal ecosystems and habitats, sustainable fisheries, marine biotechnology and industrial ecology, and marine education and outreach.

[2/9/04]

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