Background Info

The aim of this project is to redesign an existing harbor in order to make it more eco-friendly. This can be done in several ways including: creating a new dock layout, rebuilding facilities using eco-friendly materials, minimizing the use of impervious materials, and conserving water.

Redesigning the harbor is important because huge amounts of pollution go into the ocean from harbors and marinas just like in Atlantic Highlands. This pollution can be drastically reduced by some simple modifications to the marinas, and the participation of the people who use them.

For my part of the project I am redesigning the dry part of the harbor. This means the harbor from the waterline inshore including the boat dock. I will redesign this part of the harbor to be as eco-friendly as possible. This can be accomplished many way including: implementing alternative energy sources, minimizing impermeable materials, minimizing pollution, installing systems to use rainwater and grey water, and cultivating vegetation throughout the harbor.

This part of the harbor must be redesigned for several reasons. One of which is to reduce the amount of runoff which pollutes the water. Much of the pollution which gets into the ocean is due to runoff. Harbors are great places for runoff to get into the water because they are generally sloped towards the water and the pollution just flows into the water. This can be fixed by simply creating a slight slope away from the water thus stopping the pollution from going into the water. Other modifications could include a rain basin to collect and store rain water for use in the harbor, and making use of alternative energy sources to power the harbor facilities.

This project can be completed using several different methods of converting regular marinas into “green” marinas. Both the wet and dry portions of the harbor will be modified each by a different member of my group. The dry portions of the harbor which I am redesigning will put several different strategies of making a marina “green” to use.