NATIONAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO CONTROL NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION FROM MARINAS AND RECREATIONAL BOATING Draft June 2000 Prepared for Edwin F. Drabkowski Nonpoint Source Control Branch Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by Tetra Tech, Inc. Fairfax, Virginia Acknowledgments Edwin F. Drabkowski, of the Nonpoint Source Control Branch, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, was the primary author of this guidance document. Sam Pett, from Tetra Tech, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, and Neil Ross, of Neil Ross Consultants, Kingston, Rhode Island, assisted with the document’s development. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION The Purpose and Scope of This Guidance.............................................. 1-1 National Water Quality Inventory ................................................... 1-3 What is Nonpoint Source Pollution?.................................................. 1-5 Watershed Approach to Nonpoint Source Pollution Control................................ 1-5 Programs to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution......................................... 1-7 National Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program ................................. 1-7 Storm Water Permit Program.................................................... 1-8 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program........................................ 1-9 Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grant Program.......................................... 1-9 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) ............. 1-9 Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and Regulations.......................................... 1-10 Sources of Further Information .................................................... 1-11 SECTION 2: SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION FROM MARINAS AND RECREATIONAL BOATING Pollutant Types and Impacts ....................................................... 2-2 Pollutants in the Water Column.................................................. 2-2 Pollutants in Aquatic Organisms ................................................. 2-4 Pollutants in Sediments ........................................................ 2-5 Pathogens .................................................................. 2-5 Debris and Litter............................................................. 2-6 Sediment and Habitat Alterations................................................. 2-6 Shoaling and Shoreline Alterations................................................ 2-7 SECTION 3: MANAGEMENT MEASURES AND PRACTICES Understanding Management Measures and Practices ..................................... 3-1 How Management Practices Work to Prevent Nonpoint Source Pollution...................... 3-2 Management Practice Systems...................................................... 3-4 Site-Specific Design of Management Practices.......................................... 3-5 Important Characteristics of Marina Environments from a Pollution Perspective................. 3-5 General Factors Common to All Waterbodies........................................ 3-5 Lakes and Reservoirs.......................................................... 3-6 Rivers..................................................................... 3-7 Estuaries................................................................... 3-7 Coastal Environments ......................................................... 3-7 Boating on Inland Waters.......................................................... 3-8 Boating Access ................................................................. 3-9 SECTION 4: MANAGEMENT MEASURES Management Measures ........................................................... 4-1 4.1. Marina Flushing......................................................... 4-7 4.2. Water Quality Assessment................................................ 4-13 4.3. Habitat Assessment ..................................................... 4-19 i Table of Contents 4.4. Shoreline Stabilization ................................................... 4-26 4.5. Storm Water Runoff..................................................... 4-31 4.6. Fueling Station Design................................................... 4-46 4.7. Petroleum Control ...................................................... 4-54 4.8. Liquid Material Management.............................................. 4-60 4.9. Solid Waste Management................................................. 4-68 4.10.Fish Waste Management ................................................. 4-75 4.11. Sewage Facility Management .............................................. 4-70 4.12. Maintenance of Sewage Facilities ........................................... 4-90 4.13.Boat Cleaning ......................................................... 4-94 4.14.Boat Operation......................................................... 4-99 4.15.Public Education ...................................................... 4-103 Note: A BMP Summary Table follows each Management Measure discussion. SECTION 5: DETERMINING POLLUTANT LOADS Example Models for Marina Flushing Assessment....................................... 5-2 Selection criteria............................................................. 5-2 Models selected.............................................................. 5-3 Simple Model .................................................................. 5-3 Mid-Range Models .............................................................. 5-5 Tidal prism model............................................................ 5-5 NCDEM DO model........................................................... 5-6 Complex Models................................................................ 5-6 WASP4.................................................................... 5-6 EFDC Hydrodynamic ......................................................... 5-7 Water Quality Monitoring in Marinas (for modeling applications)............................ 5-8 Sampling guidelines for existing marinas........................................... 5-8 Spatial coverage ............................................................. 5-8 Constituents sampled.......................................................... 5-9 Sampling locations .......................................................... 5-10 Sampling time and frequency................................................... 5-11 BIBLIOGRAPHY GLOSSARY APPENDICES A. Best Management Practices Checklist for Marinas and Recreational Boating B. Example Oil Spill Response Plan C. Tables of Cost/Benefits of Marina Best Management Practices D.Federal Laws Related to Marinas and Recreational Boating E.Web Sites With Information Related to Marinas and Recreational Boating Table of Contents ii SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Section 1 Contents The Purpose and Scope of This Guidance ..................................1-1 National Water Quality Inventory ..........................................1-3 What is Nonpoint Source Pollution? .......................................1-4 Watershed Approach to Nonpoint Source Pollution Control ....................1-5 Programs to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution .............................1-7 National Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program .......................1-7 Storm Water Permit Program ...........................................1-8 Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program ..............................1-8 Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grant Program ................................1-9 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) . 1-9 Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and Regulations ................................ 1-10 Sources of Further Information .......................................... 1-11 The Purpose and Scope of This Guidance pollution of surface waters from marinas and recreational boating. The guidance provides This document provides guidance to States, background information about nonpoint source Territories, authorized Tribes, and the public pollution from marinas and recreational regarding management measures that may be used boating—including where it comes from and how to reduce nonpoint source pollution from marinas it enters the nation’s waters—and technical and recreational boating activities. This document information about how to reduce nonpoint source refers to statutory and regulatory provisions which pollution from marinas and recreational boating. contain legally binding requirements. This This guidance also discusses the relationship of document does not substitute for those provisions marinas within watersheds. or regulations, nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it does not impose legally-binding requirements The guidance can assist marina owners and on EPA, States, Territories, authorized Tribes, or managers in identifying potential sources of the public and may not apply to a particular nonpoint source pollution and offers potential situation based upon the circumstances. EPA, solutions. Finding a solution to nonpoint source State, Territory, and authorized Tribe decision pollution problems at a marina requires taking makers retain the discretion to adopt approaches into account site-specific factors that together on a case-by-case basis that differ from this comprise the setting of a marina. The best guidance where appropriate. EPA may change management practices (BMPs) presented in this guidance in the future.. section 4 of this guidance are recommended based on their successful application at many marinas This National Management Measures Guidance nationwide. Their applicability