Keller - Roanoke - Northeast Fort Worth | December

Environment

BY MARK FADDEN

Fort Worth to tackle litter with trash-collecting waterwheel

Fort Worth City Council approved a memoran- dum of understanding with the Tarrant Regional Water District to install a waterwheel on the Trinity River at its Nov. 14 meeting. The details The waterwheel collects and removes trash and debris from the river’s surface using hydropower or solar power, containment booms and a con- veyor belt system. Waterwheels have been used to much success in other parts of the world, including Baltimore Harbor in Baltimore and Panama City, Panama, the news release states. Fort Worth’s waterwheel will be installed in the Trinity River, near Panther Island Pavilion. It has been engineered to: • Capture up to 50,000 pounds daily of litter and debris, known as oatables. • Improve the aesthetics and usability of

waterways. • Improve aquatic ecosystems for sh and wildlife. Diving in deeper Besides being a tool to catch trash, Fort Worth ocials are hoping that the waterwheel also serves as a way to educate the public about being litter aware. TRWD Environmental Division Director Darrel Andrews said the wheel will be placed prominently for people to see and to help “spread the message that all of us play a part in the reduction of trash and pollution.” City documents state that about 28,500 pounds of litter and debris were collected after a heavy rainfall event Aug. 21, 2022. This was collected along the banks of the Trinity River over four days—mostly by hand—using sta and volunteers. Per the news release, funding for the project has been secured through the following channels: • Approximately $600,000 in private donations

Waterwheels such as this one are used to clean trash and debris out of waterways all over the world.

COURTESY WATERFRONT PARTNERSHIP OF BALTIMORE

• $350,000 from the city of Fort Worth’s budget • $350,000 in the TRWD budget Fort Worth’s waterwheel will be the sixth one in the world and the rst one in Texas, the news release states. Installation of the waterwheel should be completed by summer 2024.