16-05-2025
Group aims to pull up to 100 abandoned boats from area waters, starting Monday
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A local nonprofit is planning to pull up to 100 derelict vessels from the water around Hampton Roads over the next year.
Lynnhaven River Now, which has been working to clean up area waterways for over two decades, will use funds provided by the NOAA Marine Debris Program to carry out the work. They've partnered with several local municipalities, the US NAVY, the Virginia Marine Resource Commission and Clean Virginia Waterways.
'LRNow is leading this major regional effort to identify these abandoned boats, a growing problem in our local waterways, as [abandoned vessels] pollute the water, damage valuable shoreline habitats, and create navigational hazards,' the organization said in a press release.
LRNow will kick off the effort next week with a pair of removals from Willoughby Bay, the body of water separating Naval Station Norfolk and the HRBT/I-64. They say the boats are interfering with the helicopter landing strip on the base. The area will also see additional removals in the weeks to come.
Next, the group will move on to other waterways including Broad Creek in Norfolk, the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River and the North Landing River in Virginia Beach and multiple areas around the Middle Peninsula.
Abandoned vessels pose an immediate threat to boaters' safety, especially if they've sunk below the water line and aren't visible. They also negatively impact the environment when they break apart and leak toxic chemicals into the water.
For more information on the project, contact LRNow on their website or by calling 757-962-5398.
Continue to check for updates.
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