With Memorial Day coming up – and National Safe Boating Week underway now – a reminder that one way boaters can make the waters safer for everyone is to take advantage of sewage pumpout stations rather than dumping their waste in the ocean, rivers and lakes.

Dumping waste isn’t just bad for the environment and other water users – it’s against the law, and boaters caught dumping on inland waters or within 3 miles of the coast at sea risk hefty fines.

Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon State Marine Board collaborated on this short, humorous public service announcement demonstrating just how easy proper waste disposal can be:

OSG has also designed and begun placing pumpout and dump station signs at marinas up and down the Oregon coast and on selected lakes.

Learn more

• Oregon State Marine Board Environmental Programs – includes an interactive map to help boaters locate pumping stations at marinas and ports all over the state.
• The National Weather Service’s Safe Boating Week site, with more tips for making your summer boating adventures safe, fun and legal.
• More about Sea Grant’s work on CVA boater education