California’s Dockwalker Program Recruiting Volunteers for 2026 Boating Season

California State Parks, the California Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green Program, and The Bay Foundation are recruiting volunteers for the 2026 Dockwalker Program — a statewide effort to keep Southern California’s marinas and waterways from degrading through routine boater negligence.

The program trains volunteers to walk marinas, boat launches, and docks and talk to recreational boaters about clean boating practices: proper waste disposal, oil and fuel spill prevention, sewage pumpout, and basic environmental stewardship. Volunteers attend a training session, then work local marinas and launch ramps distributing free boater kits — oil absorbent pads, clean boating guides, that kind of thing — and having direct conversations with the people actually using the water.

You don’t need to own a boat. You need a few hours and the ability to talk to strangers at a dock.

Southern California harbors — Marina del Rey, Dana Point, Channel Islands, San Diego Bay, King Harbor — see heavy recreational traffic year-round. Oil sheens, fuel spills, and sewage discharge from a small number of careless operators degrade water quality for everyone using those waterways. Volunteer education at the point of contact is a straightforward intervention.

Prospective Dockwalkers can register and find training dates through the Dockwalker Program page.