Derelict Vessel Program

The Peninsula of Mobile is honored to have been chosen to work with locals in education and action for the new Derelict Vessel Program. This project is made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program with funding provided by the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, 2021. And includes the efforts of The City of Mobile, the Mobile Police Department, and The Peninsula of Mobile. For more information about Derelict and Abandoned boats visit marinedebris.noaa.gov

Derelict and at-risk vessels are a concern because they pose threats to public safety, and cause property damage as they drift on or beneath the water’s surface, and can endanger marine life and habitat. Derelict vessels that block navigable waterways can also pose a navigational hazard and many vessels contain fuel and hazardous materials, which could leak into the surrounding water.

Assessing, removing, and disposing of these vessels also requires significant financial and technical resources, which can make abandoned and derelict vessels a difficult problem to address.

The Mobile Police Department can be seen throughout our rivers and creeks showing the hard work that goes into extracting a sunken ship.

The Peninsula is proud to be working alongside many cooperating organizations to effectively remove and prevent derelict vessels from harming our local waterways.

Throughout the Dog River watershed, The Peninsula of Mobile posted several new "No Anchorage" signage in high-issue marine debris locations

Always make sure you are anchored at an appropriate location and always keep navigational paths clear. When docking at a marina or pier, be careful when tying lines for your boat - especially before a big storm. Allow plenty of slack to account for potential high tides and be sure your bilge pump is always working.

If you see a derelict vessel in need of removal, please reach out to us at thepeninsulaofmobile@gmail.com

This September is one of our many community Clean-Up events made possible by this program, this one in particular is also in partnership with the Alabama Coastal Clean-Up.

Come join us at McNally Park on September 20th to learn more about the Derelict Vessel Program.