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Siting Considerations and Marina Design
Redevelop Existing Sites
• Place new facilities in previously developed waterfront sites.
• Expand marinas into previously developed sites.
• Check with your local government for preferred redevelopment activities and locations.
Avoid Rare and Endangered Species
• Rare and endangered species may not be disturbed per the Federal & State Endangered Species
Act/Legislation.
• Get a preliminary screening through you state agency that handles endangered species.
• If protected species are identified, you must implement an approved protection plan prior to project
approval.
Avoid Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
• Avoid disturbing or shading SAV.
• Avoid creating situations where secondary impacts on SAV by boat traffic (i.e. prop scarring or erosion
from wakes) can occur.
Minimize Disturbance to Wetlands
• Avoid disturbance to wetlands and indigenous vegetation in riparian areas.
• Build open piled docks at a height minimizing shading impacts to marshes (build docks at least 1 foot
in height above substrate for every 1 foot of dock width).
• Remove foreign materials (trash) from wetlands.
Avoid Shellfish Waters
• Avoid construction that results in the condemnation of shellfish waters. Many states have established
policies that require creating buffer zones around boat mooring facilities within which shellfish cannot
be harvested for direct marketing during certain months of the year.
• Do not site a marina near active shellfish harvesting or culturing areas.
Avoid Critical Migration, Nesting, and Spawning Areas for Location and Construction
• Disturbance of waterfowl staging areas by marinas and increased boat traffic should be avoided.
• Schedule construction to avoid critical migration, nesting, and spawning periods of important finfish,
shellfish, and wildlife.
Consider Bottom Configuration
• Locate marinas on well-flushed, natural waterways; A continuous, gradual downward slope from the
berthing area into deeper water is ideal.
• Avoid locating in canals (especially dead-end canals), irregular pockets, and sumps that are deeper than
adjacent channels.
• Build docks in areas with water depths greater than 3 feet at mean low water.
Minimize Impervious Areas to Reduce Runoff
• Maintain areas with grass or gravel or other materials that let water percolate-- where water and the
pollutants (fertilizer, etc.) it picks up is filtered naturally before reaching the waters of your marina.
• Keep paved areas to an absolute minimum, i.e., just designate work areas and roadways for heavy
equipment.
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