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| Field Scale Wetlands Demonstration Project |
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One of the growing concerns in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is inadequate water supplies. The most typical means of increasing water supply is the construction of a water reservoir. In the case of the Tarrant Regional Water District, an increase in water supply capacity was obtained through the use of wetlands. The Water District obtained a permit from the Texas Council on Environmental Quality to divert a portion of the Trinity River and process that water through constructed wetland cells. After flowing through the wetlands, the water is pumped to a water reservoir.
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The wetlands project is a prime example of great ideas that can benefit our communities by allowing Mother Nature to do its job. The idea was put to test by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Tarrant Regional Water District in 1992 when a pilot project demonstrated that wetlands improved water quality by removing a high percentage of suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorous while providing one of the best habitats for wildlife.
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OSCAR RENDA CONTRACTING (ORC) was awarded the Field Scale Wetlands Project in 2000. The project consisted of constructing a pump station on the Trinity River, a pipeline to Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area, two sedimentation ponds, and four wetland cells totaling 274 acres. The most challenging part of the project was the pump station - a massive, sixty-feet-deep concrete structure on the river. To access the structure, a temporary steel bridge was installed to support a 150-ton conventional crane. A cofferdam of steel sheet piling provided protection for excavation to the depth of thirty feet below the normal water elevation. The pump station was a key component because its primary purpose was, and is, to pump water from the Trinity River to the wetland cells. It was built to allow future pumping capacity, which will be required for future, full-scale construction of the wetlands.
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This project was successfully completed in 2002. Initial plans are to monitor the efficiency of this field-scale phase for two to five years before creating more wetlands. OSCAR RENDA CONTRACTING takes pride in constructing innovative and environment- friendly projects such as this one. For more information on about OSCAR RENDA CONTRACTING or this project, feel free to contact us.
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