Get Involved!• Organize beach and river cleanups with local groups• Become a citizen water quality monitor with the WI

DNR or join the Adopt-a-Beach program (www.greatlakes.org).

• Check-out classes and events at local environmentalcenters and colleges

Learn More!WI Marine Association:

www.wisconsinmarinas.org

Wisconsin Coastal Management Program www.coastal.wisconsin.gov

UW Sea Grant Institute www.seagrant.wisc.edu

WI Department of Natural Resources: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/GreatLakes/

US EPA: http://epa.gov/greatlakes/

WI Great Lakes Areas of Concern: http://fyi.uwex.edu/aocs/

WI Harbor Towns Association: www.wisconsinharbortowns.net

Visit a Wisconsin Clean Marina

There are over 20 marinas certified as Clean Marinas in Wisconsin since the program began in 2010.

Find these marinas and learn more at: www.wisconsincleanmarina.org

This Guide was created by the Wisconsin Marine Association with financial support from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Contact Kae DonLevy at 414.588.0617 or cleanmarina@wisconsinmarinas.org for additional copies of this Guide or if you’re interested in contributing to this project.

The original “What You Can Do” section of this Guide was designed by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District.

Wisconsin’s Great LakesLake Michigan: • The largest lake completely within the U.S • The 5th largest lake in the world • Provides drinking water for over 13 million people • Native American name: meaning “great water” • Challenges: invasive species (zebra and quagga

mussels) and algae (Cladophera)

Volume: 1,180 cubic milesMaximum depth: 923 ft.Maximum Length and Width: 307 miles / 118 miles

Lake Superior: • Contains 10% of all the earth’s fresh surface water. • Is the largest freshwater lake in the world by

surface area, and the third largest by volume (Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Tanganyika in East Africa contain more water).

• Has over 300 streams and rivers empty that into it. • Native American name: Anishnaabe Gichgamiing, or

“the Ojibwe’s Ocean”. It has also been called Gitche Gumii in tales and songs.

Volume: Almost 3 quadrillion gallons - 2,900 cubic milesMaximum depth: 1,332 ft.Maximum Length and Width: 350 miles / 160 miles

Why does Freshwater Matter?

The surface of our big blue planet is 70% water – the same percentage as our bodies have by volume.

97% of Earth’s water is salt water in oceans and seas and just 3% is freshwater. But wait....the majority of this freshwater is locked in glacier ice leaving us ...

LESS THAN 1% OF THE WORLD’S WATER AS

FRESHWATER AVAILABLE FOR THE WORLD’S

7 BILLION PEOPLE!

Never pour chemicals or car or boat oil down a sink, drain, toilet, sewer or on the ground! We DON’T want these in our waters!

Why the “Stinky Algae” on our Beaches? Too Many Nutrients

Nutrients increase algae growth. Nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizers, pet waste, grass clippings, leaves and other yard waste that gets into our rivers and Great Lakes. These Nutrients are one of the factors causing beach closings and can be hazardous to fish, bird and human health. Read more about nutrients at: www.epa.gov – search for “nutrients”.

Earth’s Freshwater Seas:

What affects these waters? STORMWATERRain and snowmelt mixes with dirt, garbage, pet and yard waste and chemicals in our yards and streets. This dirty mix is “stormwater runoff” and flows across the land into storm sewers and often directly to the rivers and Great Lakes.

• Nearly 20% of the World’s surface freshwater islocated in the Great Lakes.

• Wisconsin has over 1,000 miles of stunning shoreline on Lakes Michigan and Superior.

• Our health and economy depend on clean andabundant water from these lakes.

• Over 42 million people depend on the Great Lakesfor drinking water, industry, transportation of goods, jobs, tourism and recreation as do thousands of species.

• Economic Impact: These Lakes support a $4billion commercial and sports fishing industry and over a $16.5 billion Wisconsin tourism industry.

Do your part to protect and improve water quality to ensure that the Great Lakes

are enjoyed by generations to come.

Lake Erie

LakeOntario

Lake Huron

Lake Superior

Lake

Mic

higa

n

WI

MI

MI

IL

Ontario

IN PA

NY

OH

The Great Lakes

Si

mpl

e So

luti

on

S

Open this Guide for simple solutions you can do to improve water quality.

Kenosha Marina

For the Great Lakes - a resource Guide

Apostle Islands

• Keep hazardous chemicals out of sinks, drains,toilets and sewers. These Chemicals are not cleaned out of wastewater and can enter our drinking water source.

• Choose less harmful household products. Avoid ingredients that are toxic, poisonous, corrosive or reactive.

• Use phosphorous-free cleaners – lessphosphorous in surface waters means less algae and cleaner beaches.

• Use reusable grocery bags. Americans throw away100 billion plastic bags each year – the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil.

• Use grass clippings, leaves and garden debris asmulch or composted it. Don’t sweep or blow grass clippings, and don’t let this debris into street’s sewers. They end up in rivers and lakes and add unwanted nutrients.

• Use less fertilizer on your lawns to decreasepolluted runoff when it rains. Corn gluten is a great natural weed killer and source of nitrogen for lawns. Contact UW Extension for instructions on how to use.

• Don’t apply bug killer (pesticides), weed killer(herbicides) or fertilizers just before or during rain to reduce polluted runoff.

• Start a compost pile that uses kitchen and yardwaste to create a great additive for soil.

• Use native plants which use less water and are moreresistant to pests.

• Disconnect gutters and direct to a rain barrel, gardens or lawn. Look online about how to build a rain garden to capture your roof’s rainwater.

• Keep your car tuned-up to reduce chemical leakswhich wash into rivers and lakes when it rains.

• Take used motor oil and antifreeze to a recyclingcenter. Never pour down a sewer!

• Take your car to a car wash so dirty water and soapgo to a sanitary sewer, not into a storm sewer that drains directly to rivers or lakes.

• Close garbage bags and garbage cart lids tightlyto prevent garbage from escaping and animals from making a mess.

• Don’t throw cigarette butts on the ground – theyend up in our waterways. Cigarette filters do not decompose easily (they’re made of fiberglass) and are harmful to birds and fish.

• Don’t flush medicines, cosmetics or personal careproducts down the toilet or drain. Wastewater treatment plants can’t clean these chemicals out of the water.

• Lots of energy is used to clean and filter water, soconserving water also conserves energy.

• Fix leaks! Hundreds of gallons of water and yourmoney can go down the drain each week.

• Install low-flow faucets, shower heads and toiletsand cut water use by one-third!

• Take shorter showers instead of baths and saveabout 7 gallons of water each time.

• Turn off water when brushing teeth and save up to5 gallons of water each time.

Homes

Yard Care: Stormwater Management

Car Care

Garbage and Litter

Smart Water Use

In Your Yard

What You Can Do

• Minimize evaporation: water lawns or gardensin early morning when temperatures are cooler and winds lighter.

• Use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation for trees and shrubs.

• Set sprinklers to water lawns or gardens – notthe street or sidewalk.

Boating Solutions

Trash Tips• Place a sturdy, covered trash container onboard

Keep garbage on the boat for onshore disposal or recycling.

• Never throw cigarette butts overboard – they’remade of fiber-glass, don’t easily breakdown and can harm fish and wildlife.

• Leave the water and marina cleaner than you found

Ditch the Hitchhikers – Invasive Species:• Drain water from your boat, bilge, live well and bait

containers to ensure you’re not carrying hitchhikers.

• Remove visible aquatic plants, animals and mudfrom your boat and trailer.

• Rinse off your boat or let dry for five days beforeentering another water body.

• Dispose of leftover bait in the trash, not in water oron land.

• Learn about Great Lakes invasive species online.

The Poop Scoop• Use onshore restrooms before leaving shore.

• Obey the law – keep untreated sewage out of allwaterways.

• Use ezyme deodorizers for holding tanks and portable toilets.

• Pick-up your pet waste.

• Pet waste contributes nitrogen, phosphorus, parasites and bacteria to waterways. The cumulative impact of pet wastes can be significant and lead to conditions unfit for swimming or fishing.

Travel SolutionsGreen travel protects the natural and cultural environment of the places you visit. Follow these tips and look for Travel Green Wisconsin certified businesses at www.travelgreenwisconsin.com.

Lodging• Book your reservation at a green hotel dedicated to

recycling, conserving water and energy and contributing to the local community.

• Reuse – towels and sheets if staying more than one night.

• Conserve water – take short showers and turn offwater when brushing teeth.

• When leaving, turn off lights, TV and reduce heat orair conditioning.

Hiking and Camping• Stay on marked trails and maintain a safe distance

from wildlife.

• Deposit trash in receptacles or take out with you forproper disposal and recycling.

• Light campfires only in fire rings when it’s not toodry. Make sure it’s extinguished when leaving.

• Use reusable shopping bags and water bottles. Fillbottles with local water if it’s safe. A plastic bottle often travels thousands of many miles before you buy it.

Sightseeing• Rent a hybrid or fuel efficient car or use public

transportation, bike or walk.

• Take nothing but photographs and leave nothingbut footprints.

• Buy local products to support the local economyand save on transportation costs. Eat at local restaurants that use locally grown food.

• Recycle your Guide book or use a travel App.

Bayfield

The Wisconsin Marine Association and Clean Marina Program wants to share tips to help you protect the waters you love and to ensure future generations can do the same.

Stop Drops• Know how much fuel your tank(s) hold. Don’t top

off to allow for gas to expand when it’s hot.

• Use oil absorbent pads to catch gas and oil drips.

• If possible, fill your gas tank while the boat’s on the trailer.

• Never use soap to disperse a gas or oil spill. It’sharmful to the environment and illegal.

• Avoid using bilge cleaners as they may get discharged into the environment.

• Report gas or oil spills to the Coast Guard at 800-424-0080.

Ship-Shape Boating: • Regularly scrub decks with water and a brush to

reduce the need to use heavy cleaners.

• When possible, do maintenance and cleaning jobswhile the boat is out of the water.

• Use phosphate-free and biodegradable cleaningsupplies.

• Consider using non-toxic, non-copper anti-fouling paints.

• Use a drop cloth to collect boat bottom debris thatcan flow into waterways when it rains.

• Use less toxic propylene glycol antifreeze.

• Dispose of paints, batteries, antifreeze, oil, and oilfilters at a hazardous waste collection facility. it. Pick up trash left by others. Chequamegon Forest