In 2017, BC&A, along with Salt Lake County and several government agencies, completed work on a floating trash boom in the Jordan River that collects trash that would otherwise travel to the Great Salt Lake and its surrounding wetlands. The project has been such a success, that KSL News recently did a follow-up piece on the trash boom, and why it has been so successful. Some unique project elements:
- Tuffboom floating trash boom: This type of floating trash boom consists of a series of connected 8-foot-long floating barrier segments. The barrier is tall enough to prevent debris from flowing over. The boom is anchored in place by concrete block anchors buried in the river banks and by steel anchor piles placed in the river. The anchors are specifically located to allow a large amount of debris to accumulate on the boom without blocking access to the boat passage.
- Boat passage: The boat passage consists of a 15-foot-wide opening between the steel pile anchors in the River channel. The location and angle of the passage allow debris to flow past without short-circuiting.
- Equipment Access and Turnaround: An access road was constructed from 3300 North along the east bank of the River to the trash boom. At the boom a turnaround was provided for dump trucks or other trucks. A concrete ramp on the river bank and a concrete pad at the top of the bank were constructed to provide large equipment access to easily remove trash and debris from the River and transfer it to dump trucks.
- Camera Monitoring: A heavy duty solar powered camera was installed on a pole near the trash boom to provide real-time images to Salt Lake County personnel. The camera transmits images by cellular phone network and allows personnel to monitor when it is necessary to remove floating debris.
Check out the KSL video here: https://video.ksltv.com/videos/trash-collection-devices-nets-32-tons-of-garbage-from-jordan-river-5gvky1ya