Make Waves for Cleaner Waterways – Join the 2026 Dockwalker Program
Dockwalkers conduct boater education and distribute California Boater Kits and associated questionnaire. Photos courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Civicorps, Elizabeth Moses, Santa Cruz Harbor and San Diego Yacht Sales.
SACRAMENTO – California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green Program and The Bay Foundation invite the public to participate in California’s Dockwalker Program. Dockwalkers are partners who inspire and educate boaters and other recreationists to be safe and environmentally sound while boating in California.
Dockwalkers help raise awareness about important boating practices related to oil, fuel, sewage, trash and marine debris through the distribution of educational materials, including California Boater Kits at marinas, boat launches, boating events or anywhere boaters are found. Free virtual or in-person Dockwalker trainings are set to begin in March and run through May. Participation in the program, including the training sessions, qualify as community service.
California has one of the highest levels of recreational boating activity in the nation. With approximately 4 million boaters, even a small amount of pollution per vessel can cause serious harm to waterways, marine fish and wildlife. Since 2000, the Dockwalker Program has been a groundswell of vital knowledge and resources, with over 1,400 Dockwalkers sharing clean boating practices with 130,000 boaters across the state.
“Dockwalkers make up an incredible statewide force that effectively interacts with recreational boaters through face-to-face education about clean boating practices. This method of communication, in addition to the distribution of educational California Boater Kits, has proven to be a powerful way to keep California’s waterways clean,” said Vivian Matuk, the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green Program manager.
The Dockwalker Program leverages the power of person-to-person interaction and educational resources to encourage responsible boating behavior and preserve California’s waterways for future enjoyment.
“The California Boater Kit and its components are specifically designed to prompt boaters to take action and implement at least one of the program’s recommended best management practices. Boaters receive a boater kit after completing and signing a questionnaire and pledge to adopt clean boat boater practices. Questionnaires help to improve future education efforts in the Dockwalker program. Dockwalkers are appreciative of the dynamic program and their ability to bring an effective pollution-prevention strategy into their own communities,” said Matuk.
Anyone 15 years old and older who is interested in water quality and sharing clean boating information (regardless of your background) is eligible to become a Dockwalker. Interested participants can view short videos online to hear Dockwalkers talk about their personal experiences.
Marinas and yacht clubs are also encouraged to participate in the Dockwalker Program. Participating facilities receive educational materials and tools to operate a clean boating facility and minimize water quality impacts. The program provides marinas with points toward the Clean Marine designation, and participation also counts toward the nomination of the Club of the Year under the community service category. In addition, yacht clubs and marinas are essential in spreading awareness directly to boaters.
Safety organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons also benefit from the Dockwalker program as it supports these organizations’ current efforts to enhance and broaden their boating safety missions.
If you are a boater, this is your program because you want to protect the waterways and share your knowledge with your peers. Many Dockwalkers are boaters themselves, thus the program boasts that it exerts a bit of “pier pressure.”
Partnerships with the Bay Foundation (Division of Boating and Waterways Clean Vessel Act Program), the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadrons, Save Our Shores, Lake Berryessa Partnership and many more organizations are integral to this program’s success.
For more information on the program including testimonials, please visit boatingcleanandgreen.com/dockwalkers.
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California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.