THE ENVIRONMENT As a boater, you already appreciate nature’s beauty and the peace of the great outdoors. It is a boater’s responsibility to protect the natural environment by keeping waterways clean. Don’t put anything in the water you wouldn’t want to eat or drink!
Conserve Fishery Resources There is a tremendous drain on our fishery resources. Over-fishing and pollution have strained the fish population. Do your part by keeping only what you will eat by practicing catch-and-release.
Foreign Species If you trailer your boat from lake to lake, you may unknowingly introduce a foreign aquatic species from one lake to the next. Thoroughly clean the boat below the water line, remove all weeds and algae, and drain the bilge and livewells before launching the boat in a new body of water.
Fuel and Oil Spillage The spilling of fuel or oil into our waterways contaminates the environment and is dangerous to wildlife. Never discharge or dispose fuel or oil into the water; it is prohibited and you could be fined. There are two common, accidental types of discharge: • Overfilling the fuel tank • Pumping contaminated bilge water
WARNING
Fumes from rags can collect in bilge and be extremely hazardous. Never store rags used to wipe up fuel or solvent spills in the boat. Dispose of rags properly ashore.
Discharge and Disposal of Waste Waste means all forms of garbage, plastics, recyclables, food, wood, detergents, sewerage and even fish parts in certain waters - in short, nearly everything. We recommend you bring back everything you take out with you for proper disposal ashore. If you have a marine sanitation device (head or marine toilet) installed, use an approved pump-out facility at your marina. Many areas prohibit the discharge of sewerage overboard or even an operable overboard waste discharge.
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