THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Ahoy,

I received lots of e-mails regarding my column last week (“Releasing balloons harms environment”), and every e-mail agreed that no one should be releasing balloons, which will ultimately end up in the harbor or ocean.

I consistently hear about the usual ways to clean up the harbor, including street sweeping, grease traps, storm-drain cleaning and reducing direct urban runoff, but people still are polluting our waterways indirectly.

We all know it is not the boaters, but the vast majority — more than 90% — of Newport Bay’s pollution is directly related to the storm drains and creek openings that empty a large portion of Orange County storm drains into the harbor.

You can observe the out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality by just glancing into the ditches along the freeways or looking in the storm drains throughout the county to see the trash waiting to be flushed downstream — if we ever get any rain again.

Yes, there are new regulations on runoff pollution, but there are many practical ways to decrease the runoff now.

Education and awareness need to be stepped up a notch, especially if organized groups of people are releasing balloons from a park next to an ecological reserve, Newport’s Back Bay.

When the rainy season arrives, you will see the trash in the gutter get flushed through the storm drain into Newport Harbor. So, each of us can do our share to reduce the trash that is directly or indirectly littered into the environment.

This week’s tip is to check your vessel’s sea strainers regularly during the rainy season.

Sea strainers are the collection baskets connected in-line after the thru-hull saltwater pickups (commonly called raw water). They look like pool drain baskets.

What on a boat has strainers? Strainers are on most engines, including mains and generators, except those with keel coolers, heating and air conditioning units, water makers, raw water heads, raw water faucets and raw water wash-downs.

The sea strainer collects debris sucked up into the hose from the ocean. Debris will eventually clog the strainers, preventing the normal water flow past the strainers. Keep it clean in the harbor and in your strainers.

Remember to tune in every Saturday at 11 a.m. to “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” broadcasting on KLAA-AM (830).

Safe voyages.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to www.boathousetv.com.