10-Year Anniversary and Statewide Expansion of the Ohio Clean Marinas Program to be Recognized at Cleveland Boat Show
Sandusky, Ohio A decade of boating stewardship will be recognized by the Ohio Clean Marinas Program, a partnership among the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the Ohio Sea Grant College Program and Lake Erie Marine Trades Association (LEMTA), at the annual Progressive Mid-American Boat Show being held at the I-X Center in Cleveland Jan. 14-18. A ceremony will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m. on the Fish School stage to recognize marinas for their commitment to protecting and enhancing our freshwater resources.
The eight marinas (listed below) who have achieved Certified Ohio Clean Marinas status for 10-years or longer and newly certified/recertified marinas will be recognized during the ceremony which acknowledges successes and looks forward at opportunities to reach additional marinas and boaters. Those opportunities were made possible through the June 2015 expansion of both the Ohio Clean Marinas and Ohio Clean Boater programs statewide to include the Ohio River Watershed.
The Ohio Clean Marinas and Ohio Clean Boater programs began in 2004 with the help of many partners, including the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, Ohio Sea Grant and LEMTA. At that time, the programs focused solely on Lake Erie, with the first marina certifications occurring in 2005. In June 2015, an expanded partnership with the ODNR Division of Watercraft generated the staff and resources to offer the voluntary best management practices certification program to all marinas in Ohio.
Today, more than 48 marinas in the Lake Erie Watershed are certified as Ohio Clean Marinas, and an additional 45 have committed to meet the program’s certification standards. In fall 2015, Lake Logan Marina was the first Ohio River Watershed marina to achieve program certification, while 11 Ohio River Watershed marinas have also pledged to meet program goals.
From educating marina owners on how to implement environmental best management practices, to encouraging boaters to take action to protecting our shared water resources, to implementing programs, to keeping more than 2.2 million pounds of boat shrink wrap out of landfills to date, the Ohio Clean Marinas and Ohio Clean Boater programs have created a culture of responsible boaters and marina businesses along our Great Lake and throughout the Buckeye State.
Additional information about each program, including a certification checklist and stewardship factsheets, can be found online at ohioseagrant.osu.edu/cleanmarinas and ohioseagrant.osu.edu/cleanboaters and can be obtained by calling Ohio Clean Marinas Program staff at 419-609-4120.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.
Ohio State University’s Ohio Sea Grant Program is part of NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 33 Sea Grant programs dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. For more information, visit ohioseagrant.osu.edu.
Ohio Clean Marinas Celebrating 10-year Anniversary
- Beaver Park Marina (Lorain County)
- Beaver Park Marina North Inc. (Lorain County)
- Cedar Point Marina (Erie County)
- Edgewater Yacht Club (Cuyahoga County)
- Marina Del Isle (Skipper Buds) (Ottawa County)
- Sandusky Yacht Club (Erie County)
- Spitzer Lakeside Marina (Lorain County)
- Spitzer Riverside Marina (Lorain County)
Ohio Clean Marinas Re-certified and Newly Certified in 2015* (Asterisk denotes Ohio River watershed marinas)
- Bay View Yacht Club (Cuyahoga County)
- Blue Water Condominiums (Ottawa County)
- Castaway Bay Marina (Erie County)
- Cedar Point Marina (Erie County)
- City of Huron Boat Basin (Erie County)
- East 55th Street Marina (Cuyahoga County)
- Edgewater Yacht Club (Cuyahoga County)
- Green Cove Resort I-Condo Association (Ottawa County)
- Holiday Harbor Marina (Erie County)
- Huron Lagoons Marina (Erie County)
- Lake Logan Marina* (Hocking County)
- Lakefront Marina (County)
- Redbrook Boat Club (Ashtabula County)
- Romps Water Port (Ottawa County)
- The Dock of the Bay Marina (Erie County)
- Turtle Creek Marina & Campground (Ottawa County)
- Valley Harbor Marina (Erie County)
- Vermilion Power Boats (Erie County)