Dowry Creek Marina in Belhaven is the newest facility to be certified as a North Carolina Clean Marina, a designation given to marinas that exceed minimum regulatory requirements. The marina, located on upper Dowry Creek in Beaufort County, received the certification in June.

 The Clean Marina program illustrates how marina operators can help safeguard the environment by using best management and operation techniques that exceed environmental requirements. To earn the certification, the marina’s owners control boat maintenance activities and prepare spill prevention plans to protect water quality. Marina operators also incorporate safety and emergency planning for their facilities.

“The forty-nine marinas currently in our Clean Marina program are demonstrating their commitment to protecting coastal water quality in North Carolina,” said Braxton Davis, director of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.

Clean Marina is a voluntary program in which participating marina operators must complete an evaluation form about their use of specific best management practices to protect water quality. If a marina meets criteria developed by the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, it will be designated as a Clean Marina. Such marinas are eligible to fly the Clean Marina flag and use the logo in their advertising. The flags signal to boaters that a marina cares about the cleanliness of area waterways.

Clean Marina is a nationwide program developed by the National Marine Environmental Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to clean up waterways for better recreational boating. The foundation encourages states to adopt Clean Marina principles to fit their own needs.

The North Carolina program, now in its 20th year, is a partnership between the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, N.C. Sea Grant, the U.S. Power Squadron, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

For more information about clean marinas and how to apply for Clean Marina status, go to DCM’s website.

###