Boaters, you can rock the boat in an entirely awesome way when it comes to keeping waterways clean. Listen up:
Motorboat, motorboat, go so clean… (via T. Mills, USFWS)
Are you one of the more than 80 million adults in the U.S. who take to the water each year in a boat, canoe, or kayak? Then catch this drift: Almost three hundred thousand miles of waterways don’t meet state water quality goals. Blech.
Good news is, cool boaters like you can make a difference by following a few simple tips:
- Prevent oily discharge from the bilge by placing an oil absorbent under the engine,
- Spill proof your oil changes and refuel slowly, leaving room for fuel expansion,
- Manage your sewage waste properly, and
- Never throw trash overboard!
Pro tip: Before you put anything in the water, imagine yourself swimming in it, first. That’s serious inspiration to choose clean and healthy waterways if we ever heard it!
Get schooled:
- Take the Clean Boating Pledge (and check out more useful tips) from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- Learn how to be the ultimate clean boater, thanks to intel from the BoatUS Foundation
- ake a deep dive on clean-boating practices, with tips from the American Boating Association
The fine print:
- This segment was produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
