Freshwater Science: Advancing Stormwater Management at Great Lakes Marinas with Green Infrastructure

Stormwater runoff carries pollution from land into nearby bodies of water, a phenomenon made worse by more frequent and severe storms due to climate change. Meanwhile, marinas on the Great Lakes can release pollutants - oil, grease, antifreeze, and boat paint - and exacerbate runoff with impervious parking lots and rooftops. This puts marinas in a unique position to become a part of the solution.
Dr. Scott Hardy, Ohio Sea Grant extension educator, and Sarah Orlando, Clean Marinas program manager, worked as part of a collaboration between the Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs to improve stormwater management at Great Lakes marinas by implementing green infrastructure. The project has produced tangible results: demonstration sites with best management practices, an online toolkit website, and water quality monitoring research led by Dr. Ryan Winston of The Ohio State University’s Stormwater Management Program.
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