New Jersey Boating Season Now Open!

The 2013 boating season is open! Jersey Shore waters are now open for recreation and tourism. The state is continuing to remove debris from our waterways.  Since early March, state-hired contractors have been removing floating and submerged debris from Bergen to Cape May Counties as well as in Delaware Bay.  These contractors are helping clean up our waters seven days a week. Additionally, NJDOT is aerially marking locations needing cleanup and ensuring the safety of state channels. Despite cleanup efforts, please use caution when traveling through our waterways for shifting debris and shallow shoals. Boaters should call 1-877-WARN DEP if they observe debris or shoaling while traveling on state waters.  Boaters can access Local Notices to Mariners (LNMs) for New Jersey here. For more information on NJ’s debris cleanup, click here.

Boat sewage can be a source of nonpoint pollution, degrading the water quality of our shores. Boat sewage can not only cause algae blooms, fish kills, and degradation of shellfish beds, but can also be harmful to human health. Many coastal areas have been designated as No Discharge Zones, preventing the dumping of treated and untreated sewage, and it is illegal to dump untreated sewage within 3 miles of any shoreline. In order to help protect our water quality, please use pumpout facilities. Unfortunately, as of the first of June, half of our pumpout facilities were closed due to Superstorm Sandy damage and repairs are underway. To see which pumpout facilities are open, please go here. Whether pumpout facilities charge or not for their services depends on the facility.



NY/NJ Baykeeper's Bayshore Pumpout Boat, the Head Mistress

Free pumpouts are provided:

• In Jamaica Bay and the northern Bayshore region, NY/NJ Baykeeper runs two boats twice a week. For more information please call the Baykeeper office at 732-888-9870 ext 1 or click here.

• In the Barnegat Bay region, Ocean County also provides 4 free pumpout facilities. The pump out boats typically operate through September. The boats are in service Friday- Monday from 10:00am to 6:00pm and can be contacted on the Marine VHF Radio Channel 9 by identifying the boat, its location, and service requested. Contact the following pumpout boats:
• Circle of Life/ Water Warrior, Borough of Seaside Park, 732-793-3700
• Waste Watcher/ Bay Sweeper, Tuckerton Seaport, 609-296-8868
• Bay Saver, Brick Township, 732-262-1085

          For more information on Ocean County's Pumpout Boat Program, please go here.

Click here for a useful boaters guide from NJSeagrant.

Please help your waterway. If you observe any unusual conditions such as large numbers of floating dead fish, oil or chemical spills, or any waste being dumped in coastal waters, contact the appropriate agency immediately. See here for who to contact and let us know at
COA, 732-872-0111.

For more information about pumpout locations and to contact someone about a closed pumpout please call:

Michael Danko, Sea Grant Consortium
732-872-1300

NJ Marine Trades Association
732-292-1051