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Action Plan 6:
Managing Impacts from Boating, Marinas, and Moorings
October 17, 2011 draft finalAbout the new Buzzards Bay CCMP Action Plans
The Buzzards Bay NEP is now updating our 1991 landmark Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to reflect the great progress achieved since that plan was finalized. It will include new or updated goals, objectives, and management solutions to meet the environmental needs for Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed throughout the next decade.
On this page is a draft action plan from the updated Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. The text on this page is a public draft provided to invite comment and discussion of the subject by residents and stakeholders. It may contain goals and recommendations that have not yet been endorsed or approved by the Buzzards Bay Steering Committee. The views or information contained here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the US Environmental Protection Agency.
We want your feedback on this action plan. First, please read the entire action plan Managing Impacts from Boating, Marinas, and Moorings. Then at the bottom of this page click the "Rate the Goals and Objectives now" button to provide comments on each goal, objective and defined management approach contained in this Action Plan. Based on your feedback, we will update and revise all the action plans in the new CCMP.
Managing Impacts from Boating, Marinas, and Moorings
Problem
Boats, boat moorings, and marinas can adversely affect water quality and habitat of Buzzards Bay. These impacts are most pronounced where boat density is greatest or where there are sensitive resources. Boat use and maintenance, and the infrastructure to support those activities, all have potential impacts associated with both the release of contaminants, and through physical alterations like propeller wash and anchor chain scour, and through shading of the bottom. Some harbors in Buzzards Bay have more than 1000 moorings. Mooring chains scour the bottom and remove eelgrass and destroy habitat for benthic fauna. These chains, bouncing on the bottom with waves, resuspend bottom sediments, greatly reducing water clarity that in turn can shade out eelgrass beds over large areas and elevate bacterial levels. Some marinas have illicit discharges associated with boat cleaning operations, and 95% of the marinas in Buzzards Bay have not complied with EPA's Multi-Sector General Permit for managing stormwater discharges. Although Buzzards Bay is designated as a boat sanitary waste no-discharge area, education is needed about the broader impacts associated with boats, moorings and marinas and how they can be minimized.
Goals
Goal 6.1. Eliminate the discharge of wastewater from all boats in Buzzards Bay.
Goal 6.2. Eliminate or minimize impacts of discharges from marina operations.
Goal 6.3. Eliminate adverse environmental impacts associated with mooring fields.
Objectives
Objective 6.1. To ensure there is an adequate number of pumpout facilities in Buzzards Bay.
Objective 6.2. To promote the use of pumpout facilities by educating boaters, making facilities more accessible, and enforcing the regulations.
Objective 6.3. Achieve full compliance of marinas with the Phase II stormwater, and MSGP discharge permits.
Objective 6.4. Ensure compliance of marina power washing activities with applicable state and federal laws.
Objective 6.5. Deploy mooring systems that minimize environmental impacts to habitat and water quality.
Solutions
Goals can be achieved through education efforts, such as through distribution of newsletters, factsheets, and posting of notices or signs. Improved compliance by marinas with the MSGP stormwater permit program will require notification and enforcement by the U.S. EPA, with supporting technical assistance from DEP and MCZM. Marina operators must also cease discharges associated with bottom cleaning operations on their properties that result in direct discharges.
Eventually most conventional mooring anchors should be replaced with helical anchors and elastic rodes. Requirements for mooring gear replacement to environmentally friendly types can be mandated through regulations or policies, but could be phased in over time to minimize hardships. For example, the Town of Marion now requires environmentally friendly anchor systems only on vessels over 25 feet. These new systems have an added benefit in that boat densities can be increased, so that the same number of boats can be confined to a smaller area of the estuary. Municipalities can lead by example by replacing all municipal owned moorings with these new mooring systems.
Costs and Financing
Many elements of this action plan require modest or negligible expenditures of public funds, as most relate to education, adoption of regulations, or better enforcement of existing regulations. Most of the necessary flyers and notices can be produced in-house by towns, and disseminated with mooring permits and through marinas.
The most expensive element of this action plan is born by boat owners, and that is the cost of the new mooring system. While these environmentally friendly mooring systems are comparable in price to a conventional mooring system ($2-3,000), unless the mooring is new, this is an added cost. Mooring upgrades can be phased in over a period of years. Municipalities should pursue funding for municipal owned mooring replacements from habitat restoration programs.
Measuring Success
The success of this action plan will be documented principally with programmatic actions, the volume of boat waste collected, regulatory compliance, and the extent of use of environmentally friendly moorings.
To fully understand the basis of these goals and objectives, and possible management approaches, please read the complete Action Plan 6. Managing Impacts from Boating, Marinas, and Moorings Action Plan may 26, 2011 draft, pdf file).