The City of Arlington, Texas, has just released the latest edition of their ‘On the Clock’ program, a show that gives an inside look at the hard work city employees do every day to make Arlington a better community to live, learn, work and play.
This month’s episode, hosted by City Manager Trey Yelverton, gives residents a behind-the-scenes look at the city’s dredging operation at Gateway Park in south Arlington.
Dredging removes sediment from water, in a process akin to vacuuming. Over time, several feet of sediment had settled in the pond at Gateway Park, which feeds into Johnson Creek. City leaders wanted to make sure the water kept flowing, so they decided it was time to dredge.
Stormwater engineers devised the plan and helped locate a crew. The process takes about six weeks. During that time, a dredge lifts the sediment off the bottom of the pond. From there, it’s processed and cleaned.
The end product is a high-quality soil, which is then reused. The city also chose to dredge the pond without draining it, which means less disruptions for wildlife.