Illinois the latest state to start Clean Marina program

Posted May 31st, 2013 in Healthy Waters, Recreation & Tourism, The Helm

This month Illinois joined a number of other Great Lakes states by instituting a Clean Marina program. Designed to reduce and prevent pollution, the program provides best management practices for marina operators to help protect waterways and the environment. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant created the Clean Marina guidebook (PDF) in collaboration with Illinois DNR to offer a comprehensive manual for marina operators with important environmental protection and best practice information.

From our latest edition of The Helm:

“Nearly a quarter of Illinois’ 70 marinas sit along Lake Michigan, making the Illinois shoreline the most active in the Great Lakes region. Millions of people in the Chicago area rely on that same stretch of Lake Michigan for drinking water. Here, even small levels of pollution from marinas can have a significant impact on the lake and the communities that rely on it.

At the heart of the Clean Marina Program are best management practices that make marina operations and boater activities more efficient and environmentally friendly. Practices cover a range of topics, from marina construction to vessel maintenance, and most are easy and affordable. Some recommendations, such as how to protect nearby habitats during construction, will help new or expanding marinas develop greener sites from the beginning. And others will help marina personnel educate boaters on what they can do to protect and improve the state’s water quality. Marinas that adopt the practices will be certified as a clean marina by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Coastal Management Program.”

Read the complete article at the link above, and learn more about the Clean Marina Program at the program website and on Facebook.

IISG Instagram

Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:

- Natural processes in the Great Lakes
- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes
- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approaches

Find our two new video series at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18075599984541727
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.

Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.

Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral.

Application deadline: June 3, 2026.

To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18136822375511465
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

Science is Survival at C2E2 2026! Catch us at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (March 27–29) as we explore the underwater world of Subnautica through the lens of Great Lakes science.

Stop by our booth to discover how Great Lakes food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics stack up against your favorite survival game!

Learn more about the event at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17881364454503601
Science is Survival at C2E2 2026! Catch us at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (March 27–29) as we explore the underwater world of Subnautica through the lens of Great Lakes science.Stop by our booth to discover how Great Lakes food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics stack up against your favorite survival game!Learn more about the event at the link in bio.