Water: Polluted Runoff
Marinas and Boating
Fact Sheets and Reports | Guidance Documents and Manuals | Special Programs
NPS Categories
There is a growing awareness of the potential sources of nonpoint source pollution from marinas and boating. (Photo courtesy of EPA)
Pump out stations at marinas allow boaters to safely dispose of their sanitary system's contents without dumping wastes into the water.
Marinas and recreational boating are very popular uses of coastal waters. The growth of recreational boating, along with the growth of coastal development in general, has led to an increased awareness of the need to protect the environmental quality of our waterways. Because marinas are located right at the water's edge, there is a strong potential for marina waters to become contaminated with pollutants generated from the various activities that occur at marinas—such as boat cleaning, fueling operations and marine head discharge—or from the entry of stormwater runoff from parking lots and hull maintenance and repair areas into marina basins.
The Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990, known as CZARA, require that EPA describe sets of management measures to be used for the control of pollution from various nonpoint sources, including marinas and recreational boating. States will incorporate these measures into their own nonpoint source pollution control programs to help achieve water quality standards.
Fact Sheets and Reports
- Nonpoint Pointer No. 9 - Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution from Boating and Marinas
Information on managing boat operations, sewage, waste and maintenance as well as a listing of related publications and resources can be found in this legacy fact sheet. - Clean Marinas - Clear Value - Environmental and Business Success Stories
This study focuses on the economic benefits realized by marina managers who have implemented management measures at their marinas.
Guidance Documents and Manuals
- National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Marinas and Recreational Boating
National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Marinas and Recreational Boating is a technical guidance and reference document for use by state, local and tribal managers in the implementation of nonpoint source pollution management programs. It contains information on the best available, economically achievable, means of reducing pollution of surface water runoff from marinas and recreational boating. (Final Version - November 2001, EPA 841-B-01-005) - Shipshape Shores and Waters: A Handbook for Marina Operators and Recreational Boaters (PDF) (22 pp, 1.9MB, About PDF)
This is a companion piece to the National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Marinas and Recreational Boating. It is a quick reference handbook for actions that marina operators and recreational boaters can take to help prevent polluting waters. (January 2003, EPA-841-B-03-001) - Management Measures for Marinas and Recreational Boating
This is the marina and boating management measure chapter of the document Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters. - EPA Office of Mobile Sources - Marine Engine Emissions and Control
This Web site provides general and technical information on EPA's marine diesel engine rulemakings.
Special Programs
- Clean Marina Initiative
The Clean Marina Initiative is a voluntary, incentive-based program promoted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others that encourages marina operators and recreational boaters to protect coastal water quality by engaging in environmentally sound operating and maintenance procedures.