Division of Boating and Waterways Now Accepting Grant Applications to Help Keep California’s Waterways Clean

For Immediate Release: 5/16/2022

Division of Boating and Waterways Now Accepting Grant Applications to Help Keep California’s Waterways Clean

Grant Applications Due June 15, 2022

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is now accepting grant applications for the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) Education and Outreach Grant Program. A maximum of $277,500 of federal funding per targeted region is available to organizations for educating coastal and San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary recreational boaters about proper vessel sewage disposal, the use of pumpout facilities and how to monitor pumpout stations.

In 1992, Congress passed the CVA to help reduce pollution from vessel sewage discharges into U.S. waters. The grant program serves as an important educational opportunity for all boaters on how to help keep California’s waterways clean. Discharging sewage overboard creates environmental and human health problems. To reduce the negative impacts of this harmful action, all recreational boaters are encouraged to use sewage management facilities, including pumpout stations, dump stations and mobile pumpout services.

The grant program targets two geographic regions of California:

San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary
Counties of:

Alameda	Napa	San Mateo	Sonoma
Contra Costa	Sacramento	Santa Clara
Marin	San Francisco	Santa Cruz
Monterey	San Joaquin	Solano

Southern California Coast
Counties of:

Los Angeles	San Diego	Santa Barbara
Orange	San Luis Obispo	Ventura

As part of DBW’s commitment to provide clean, safe and enjoyable recreational boating in California, the division serves as the state grant coordinator. DBW will fund two grants (one for each targeted California geographic region) that will develop and implement a 12-monthClean Vessel Act Education and Outreach Program. Each regional grant must include education and outreach efforts, as well as a monitoring program. There are additional funds for a non-motorized boater sewage behavior study ($37,500), and the second phase of a sewage volume study ($75,000). These additional objectives could be added to the primary award or split between the two grantees. Applications will be evaluated and ranked according to how each application proposal demonstrates comprehensive and proven methods for meeting grant program goals. The deadline to submit applications is Wednesday, June 15, 2022, by 10 a.m.

Below are some examples of accomplishments from the last grant cycle:

Aired podcasts to educate the public on clean and safe boating practices, such as Dockside.
Conducted six presentations on clean boating and sewage pollution prevention best management practices, reaching over 100 individual boaters and stakeholders.
Produced a variety of educational videos about sewage management such as “Consider a Marine Composting Toilet” video and the “Marine Sanitation Device & Y-Valve Information for Boaters” video.
Distributed more than 250 universal deck fitting adapter kits. The adapter kits are a pollution prevention tool that helps boaters to pump out their boat hands-free.
Continued to provide boaters with a sewage pumpout Nav App that helps them locate nearby participating, functioning sewage pumpout stations, dump stations and floating restrooms.
Monitored 152 sewage pumpouts and 15 dump stations in 19 counties five times during the last grant cycle to help identifying the status, repair needs and usage of those pollution prevention services in the two geographic regions.
Distributed 250 deck adapter kits to boaters and marina managers, promoting an easier sewage pumpout experience.

For detailed information on the grant program, the current grant application, requirements and complete guidelines packet, please visit DBW’s website.

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