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The Michigan Clean Marina Program promotes environmentally sound marina and boating practices to reduce pollution, enhance fish and wildlife habitat and protect Great Lakes water quality. The program is open to all public and private marinas, harbors, boatyards, and yacht clubs in Michigan.

Program History and Success

The Michigan Clean Marina Program was established in 2001 as a public-private partnership to create a voluntary program to assist marina and harbor operators in identifying and implementing best practices. The program has received support from Michigan Sea Grant, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy – Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

In 2008, the Clean Marina Classroom (now the Clean Marina Resource Guide) was established to provide a convenient way for marina operators to pursue clean marina certification for their facilities. The online Resource Guide includes information on laws, regulations and best management practices focusing on issues such as petroleum control, waste disposal and marina management. The Resource Guide includes resources relevant to all freshwater marinas and is a resource guide for the Michigan Clean Marina certification program.

The Michigan Clean Marina Foundation Board decided in early 2020 to no longer require Michigan marinas complete the online Resource Guide training in order to move forward with Clean Marina certification. The Clean Marina Resource Guide is now available to all interested, pledged, and certified marinas. The information and resources in the guide are relevant to marinas in Michigan and other Great Lakes states; however, other marinas throughout the country can benefit from a majority of the units in the classroom.

The Michigan Clean Marina Program is successful in large part because the marina industry has an active role. MBIA and participating marina managers are promoting the Clean Marina certification as the industry standard. Marina managers are finding new ways to implement best management practices that benefit their facility, boaters and the environment.

Program Administration

The Michigan Clean Marina Program is a cooperative effort of the Michigan Boating Industries Association and Michigan Sea Grant. Financial assistance for this project was provided, in part, by the Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program, Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, under the National Coastal Zone Management Program, through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Program Coordination

The Michigan Boating Industries Association coordinates all Clean Marina certification activities. The Michigan Clean Marina Program social media channels include Facebook, and Instagram. To schedule a site visit or inquire about the certification process, contact:

Resource Guide Website

Michigan Sea Grant staff administer this website, the Clean Marina Administrative Database, and the Clean Marina Resource Guide, an online resource guide used to familiarize operators with best practices. For questions on these topics, contact:

Certification Specialists

Clean Marina Specialists provide support to marina operators and owners in addressing best management practices involved in achieving certification. Specialists conduct site visits and assist with the development of a Clean Marina binder documenting stormwater and spill prevention plans, as well as waste management and recycling, energy efficiency and other best practices to protect Michigan’s waterways.

Specialists: