Clean boating practices promoted in the Delta

There are a few other possible factors contributing to the decline of the Delta smelt, and one of them is pollution. There is a campaign underway to promote clean boating practices in the Delta, as highlighted in this article from Stockton’s Record.Net:

As crowds of boaters delight in the Delta this Fourth of July, county and state officials are making final plans to decrease boater-generated pollution – be it a few drops of fuel that accidentally escape, or batteries or oil filters dumped into the drink. “That’s just wrong,” said Bower, a Southern Californian making his first trip to the Delta.

It’s difficult to say how many of the Delta’s water quality woes can be pegged on boater pollution, said Vivian Matuk, an environmental boating expert with the state Coastal Commission and Department of Boating and Waterways. There are many other sources: Cities release treated sewage into the Delta, fertilizers wash off front lawns, and pesticides drain from farmers’ fields. But the estuary’s 150 marinas and roughly 170,400 registered boats undoubtedly produce some pollution.

“It’s a very important area, and we need to support clean boating practices. The boaters want to do the right thing, but they need easy and convenient and free methods,” said Matuk, whose agencies are coordinating with Delta counties on the cleanup effort.

To read the full text of the article, click here.

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