The city of Chattanooga plans to install a large litter trap at a high-visibility local creek in the next nine months in an effort to better control the mounting issue of plastic waste in area waterways.
The exact creek has not been determined, but city leaders say they have several options. Local tributaries have become harbors of plastic waste as tons of trash have been dumped in waterways.
"The importance of having these traps at the mouth of the Tennessee River is to keep all of that debris from moving into the main channel of the river," said Jeanette Eigelsbach, director of the city-run Scenic Cities Beautiful Commission. "If we can get it caught in those tributaries - well, ideally, we'll get people to stop throwing things out so then we're going to be better off - but we want to keep our rivers as clean as possible."
The trap will not necessarily be put in a location with the most amount of litter, such as Chattanooga Creek. City leaders want it to be in a high-visibility area so residents can see what is being done. They believe the trap can serve educational purposes, such as showing residents the volume of waste and teaching them what they can do to help prevent the problem.
City leaders envision signs with educational messages and partnerships with private and public groups. The city has already partnered with Scenic Cities Beautiful, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and Hamilton County to use it as an educational training tool.
"If you have something like this on say Chattanooga Creek, where no one has access to it unless they're back there, people are not going to know the volume of gross solids that can go through," said Rebecca Robinson, city water quality supervisor.
The current focus is Citico Creek near the Tennessee Riverwalk. The creek runs through an industrial area before emptying into the Tennessee River. The creek is highly visible and has a history of pollution.
The city led a cleanup effort several years ago with Baylor School. It was also the location of an oil spill early this year.
"It has issues. It's had issues," Robinson said. " It's a good location. It really is. We can get community engagement, and it would serve a necessary purpose to prevent gross solids from getting into the Tennessee River."
The litter trap guides trash into a large cage that can be cleared when full. They can cost between $100,000 and $200,000, Robinson said. The device has two long arms similar to booms used to contain oil spills. The water's current pushes the trash through the waiting arms and into the cage.
The trap is being paid for by a $125,000 Tennessee Department of Transportation grant. The city's plan was one of 15 projects awarded a special litter grant that provides one-time funding for the agency's highway beautification division to work with groups on community-based litter projects. The grants are funded with residual, unspent litter grant funding, said agency spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn. The state agency spends about $15 million annually on litter programs and land transportation contracts.
"Litter prevention and pickup efforts are critical to keeping roadways safe and maintaining the natural beauty of Tennessee," Flynn wrote in an email. "Litter impacts safety, criminal activity, the health of the environment, water quality, potential income through tourism and business recruitment, and property value."
There are smaller, less expensive systems available. One popular option is nets that attach to storm drains and catch trash. The city has considered using them but decision makers are concerned the volume of water that comes through the system during rain would blow the nets off the pipes and put trash back into the water. However, the option is still being researched and considered.
If all goes well with the trap, Robinson expects the city to consider adding more.
"It's giving us an opportunity to see how it works in the real world. When you put it out in the real world, it may not be as effective," Robinson said. "It will be nice."
"We're really excited about this opportunity where we got this grant and can actually try something," she said. "It will be nice."
Contact staff writer Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook at ChattanoogaOutdoorsTFP.