Bay-Friendly Tips: On The Water

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Keep Litter Out of the Water…

…to protect marine life and reduce pollution.

DO take extra care that fishing line doesn’t end up in the water to entangle and endanger wildlife.
DO carry something to use as a portable ashtray for your cigarette butts; then dispose of it in a trash can.
DO bring an empty bag or container to use for trash and dispose of it properly when you get back to shore. Never throw litter overboard.
DO pick up trash you see floating in the water.

Pump out properly!

Pump Out Properly…

…and keep harmful bacteria and human waste out of the water.

DON’T discharge sewage into the water. Narragansett Bay is a “No Discharge Zone,” which means it’s illegal to dump any sewage—treated or untreated—into the water. This includes inland, fresh water, salt ponds and estuaries, and all coastal waters extending three miles from the Rhode Island shoreline.
DO store your waste in a holding tank and pump it out at a designated pumpout station.
DO discharge boat sewage in designated pump-out stations.

Download Map of Rhode Island Pump-out Stations

Avoid Spills…

…to to keep gasoline, oil and other substances out of the water.

DO use a funnel to fuel up your boat, and DON’T overfill.
DO keep bilge water clean by using a bilge sock to absorb oil.
DO store used oil in a covered container and turn it in at a designated oil recycling facility.

Action Apps

Hold your own shoreline cleanup

The Clean Swell App lets volunteers upload important cleanup data in real-time to the world’s largest marine debris database. This database is used by scientists, conservation groups, governments and industry leaders to study ocean trash and take action to ensure trash never reaches our beaches.

Conduct a brand audit on trash

The TrashBlitz App is a new brand audit tool in the fight against litter! The app makes it easy to collect data on brands, materials, and items found at cleanup events. Each record contributes to local, national, and global datasets to help inform policy in the United States and around the world.

Report flooding and storm surges

The MyCoast App lets you upload pictures that capture the highest tides, show storm damage and erosion and record localized flooding. By recording these events, you’ll help decision-makers, emergency managers and others make better decisions about how to protect our coastal communities and assets.