SACRAMENTO — The Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is now accepting applications for its Clean Vessel Act (CVA) Education and Outreach Grant Program, a key initiative aimed at protecting California’s waterways from sewage pollution caused by recreational vessels. The program offers up to $360,000 in federal funding per targeted region to organizations that can educate boaters about proper sewage disposal and conduct monitoring of sewage pumpout and dump stations.
The CVA Education and Outreach Program focuses on two geographic regions in California: the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and the Southern California coastline. Eligible counties for the Bay-Delta region include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma. Southern California counties eligible for funding include Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
Organizations applying for the grant must develop and implement a 12-month education and outreach program that encourages boaters to use proper sewage management tools such as pumpout stations, dump stations, mobile pumpout services, and floating restrooms. The program also requires a pumpout and dump station monitoring component to ensure facilities are functioning properly and accessible to the boating community. Proposals that initially cover only a portion of the targeted region will be considered if applicants can demonstrate a plan to expand their efforts to the entire region within one year.
The Clean Vessel Act was passed by Congress in 1992 to help reduce pollution from vessel sewage discharges into U.S. waters. Sewage discharged overboard not only pollutes waterways but also poses significant risks to human health, marine life, and water quality. Through this grant program, DBW aims to educate boaters on the importance of using designated sewage management facilities and promote long-term stewardship of California’s coastal and inland waterways.
As the state’s CVA grant coordinator, DBW oversees the application process and administration of the grant program. Applications will be evaluated based on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate proven, comprehensive strategies for outreach, education, and monitoring. The final deadline to submit proposals is Monday, August 11, 2025, at 10 a.m.
Over the years, CVA Education and Outreach grantees have made significant contributions to cleaner waterways across the state. Some of their accomplishments include conducting over a dozen educational presentations at boating events, reaching more than 700 boaters and stakeholders, producing widely viewed videos on marine sanitation practices, and promoting the popular pumpout Nav app, which helps boaters locate functioning pumpout stations and floating restrooms. The app has been downloaded more than 30,000 times since its launch in 2018. In addition, grantees have monitored over 150 sewage pumpouts and 15 dump stations in 19 counties, providing essential data on the condition and performance of these facilities.
The grant program is funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. DBW cautions that the availability of grant awards is contingent upon federal funding.
For complete details, eligibility requirements, application materials, and a copy of the program guidelines, visit the Division of Boating and Waterways website at: dbw.parks.ca.gov/CleanVesselActGrants.
