Newest Maryland Clean Marina in Harford County

Department of Natural Resources Certifies Bush River Yacht Club 

Bush River Yacht Club has now been declared the newest Maryland Clean Marina by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The maritime establishment adopted practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, met all environmental requirements and passed a site inspection before earning the designation. 

“Our state has the longest-running Clean Marina Program in the United States, and we are pleased to continue helping marine facilities reduce their environmental impact and educate their boaters,” Maryland Clean Marina Program Manager Donna Morrow said. “Being right on the water, these actions have a significant effect on our creeks, streams, tributaries and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.”

Bush River Yacht Club is located in Abingdon and has a large club house, a pool, 148 slips and a pumpout station. Without a fuel dock or a boatyard, their clean marina efforts focused on emergency preparedness – inclusive of assembling a spill response kit, minimizing the impacts of stormwater, and increasing environmental education for members and guests.

Long-time member Bill Corun led the effort for the club. “All the things we did for the Clean Marina award made sense,” he said.  “Now that we have emergency plans and a spill kit created, we’ll be safer for years to come,” he continued.

There are now over 150 certified Maryland clean marinas and partners across the state.  These facilities have voluntarily put into practice a significant number of recommendations and conscientiously strive to keep our waterways clean and healthy.  The department re-inspects participants every three years to ensure they continue to meet the criteria and maintain their certification.