Protecting our Waterways

Fort Lauderdale is home to 165 miles of navigable waterways. We protect them in a variety of ways, and we are proud of the support that our marine industry and recreational boaters provide. 

Our participation in the Clean Marinas program administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) means that environmental measures were implemented to address sensitive habitats, storm water control, spill prevention and emergency preparedness at our marinas. The City of Fort Lauderdale made history when we became the first city to have all three of our marinas designated as Clean Marinas.

We educate neighbors about the importance of keeping waste out of the water, but sometimes things do end up there. We clear organic and non-organic waste which ends up our waterways through routine Waterway Clean-up to keep them clean, healthy, beautiful and easy to navigate.  

Boaters are responsible for properly disposing of sewage, hazardous waste, fishing line and trash, but we try to help them through pump-out facilities, a variety of waste services, monofilament recycling stations, and education. 

Finally, our efforts to keep our waterways clean go hand-in-hand with those to prevent stormwater pollution. We ask our neighbors to take the time to browse both sections of our website to Green Your Boating Routine and to be the "Solution to Pollution."