Ballast Water

On June 8, 2000, Washington State's ballast water law, came into effect. The law is administered by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Most vessels entering Washington waters are now required to conduct an open-sea exchange prior to discharging ballast. The exchange must take place 50 nautical miles or more offshore.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife adopted a rule that requires vessels to submit copies of the Coast Guard's Ballast Water Reporting Form (click here for Adobe Acrobat version), and prohibits discharge of ballast water into state waters with a salinity level of less than 30 parts per thousand and with viable aquatic organisms.

For more information on the Department of Fish and Wildlife's ballast water program, please contact:

If you wish to know more about ballast water as a pathway for aquatic exotic species introduction and other management programs, please use the links provided at right.