News

Columbus Marina to become Clean Marina

By: Melissa Schneider / Published: May 24, 2006

Who: Columbus Marina
What: Designation ceremony certifying Columbus Marina as Mississippi’s first inland AL-MS Clean Marina
Where: Columbus Marina, 295 Marina Drive, Columbus, Miss.
When: Friday, June 2, 2006; Designation at 2 p.m.

Columbus Marina on the Tenn-Tom Waterway on June 2 will become the first inland Mississippi marina to receive the Clean Marina designation from the Alabama-Mississippi Clean Marina Program. The program works with marina operators in the bi-state area to implement environmentally sound practices aimed at keeping the water, land and air surrounding the marinas clean. Marina operators also share clean boating practices and environmental information with their patrons.

Columbus Marina owners Chuck and Barbara Bigelow have been strong supporters in the development of the Clean Marina Program. They have worked hard to make their marina a state-of-the-art facility and showcase of environmental practices. Examples of the practices they implemented are readily seen throughout the marina and include a comprehensive recycling program, a wastewater pumpout system, a wetland preserve and use of environmentally friendly, nontoxic products in boat servicing and cleaning. The Bigelow’s marina will become the seventh marina in the bi-state area to receive Alabama-Mississippi Clean Marina designation. Three coastal Mississippi Clean Marinas were destroyed along with many other businesses and homes by Hurricane Katrina. Columbus will be the first marina designated since the unforgettable storm.

The designation ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. and will last approximately 30 minutes. The celebration following will include a tour of the marina, good food and an opportunity to meet the marina owners and others involved in the Clean Marinas Program.

The Alabama-Mississippi Clean Marina Program and other Clean Marina Programs across the nation have cumulatively designated over 300 marinas in the United States as Clean Marinas. The MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium coordinates this program in partnership with Auburn University Marine Extension & Research Center, AL Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division, Coastal Section, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, and the MS Department of Marine Resources. Additional information about the program is available at http://www.masgc.org/cleanmarina. Information about Columbus Marina is available at http://www.columbusmarina.com/.

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