Ohio Clean Marinas Program Completes Its Seventh Successful Year

Lake Erie continues to benefit from the reduction in non-point source pollution through the efforts of certified Ohio Clean Marinas and Ohioans who have taken the Clean Boaters Pledge.

At the end of 2012, the program has 39 certified Ohio Clean Marinas. An additional 31 Lake Erie marinas are working to attain their official Ohio Clean Marina Program certification. There now are 936 pledged Clean Boaters throughout Ohio. Sarah Orlando, extension educator with Ohio Sea Grant and coordinator of the Ohio Clean Marinas and Clean Boaters programs, is looking to increase the number of certified Clean Marinas and Clean Boaters in 2013.

Among the achievements in 2012 for the Ohio Clean Marinas Program:

• The Ohio Shrink-Wrap Recycling Program continued with over 100 marinas participating and nearly 300,000 pounds of shrink wrap collected in 2012. The grand total amount of shrink wrap kept out of landfills since 2006 is now over 2 million pounds.
• In collaboration with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, a Monofilament Recycling Program has been promoted to reduce the amount of fishing line debris in and around Lake Erie. Over 15 bins have been distributed.
• Over 200 boaters took the Ohio Clean Boater Pledge to follow Best Boater Practices to improve Ohio’s water resources. [Take the Pledge]
• The Ohio Clean Marinas Program received a grant from the Lake Erie Protection Fund to determine how copper concentrations in Great Lakes marina sediment change based on runoff from seasonal boat washing. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013.
• Ohio continued collaborations with Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant on the Green Marinas Education and Outreach project, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The recently released Great Lakes Marina Best Management Practices Guide, along with webinars and other helpful resources, can be found on the Michigan Sea Grant website.

The Ohio Clean Marinas Program is a proactive partnership developed in cooperation among the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, and other partners to encourage marinas and boaters to use simple, innovative solutions to keep Ohio's coastal and inland waterway resources clean. The Ohio Clean Marinas and Ohio Clean Boaters programs together promote environmental stewardship by making marinas and boaters more aware of environmental laws, rules and jurisdictions, and to get as many marinas as possible to follow best management practices and to become designated as "Clean Marinas."