Litter Ends Here, Greenville County Rec and PalmettoPride have teamed up to launch a state-wide pilot program to remove litter from the watershed in Greenville County.
South Carolina’s first WATERGOAT, a trash trapping system, has been installed at
Oak Grove Lake in Greenville County.
What is a WATERGOAT?
It’s a barrier system that uses galvanized marine grade chain netting supported by a buoy line to prevent trash from traveling through water ways. The netting system is attached to two earth anchors on each side of channel, creating a barrier that catches trash but still allows water and marine life to pass.
The Trash Trap
A single WATERGOAT will capture an average of 100 pounds of floating trash per month.
- 60 to 70% of the contents typically consist of plastic bottles and packaging.
- 20% of the contents consists of styrene or foam products.
- Single-Use containers and packaging are always the most common items.
Maintenance
Removal of the trash collected is always performed from the safety of embankments. The WATERGOAT is easily pulled to the water’s edge. The average system can be cleaned out by three people in less than two hours.
Environmental Impacts
Trash debris harms physical habitats, transports chemical pollutants, threatens aquatic life, and interferes with human uses of river, marine and coastal environments. Preventing trash from continuing to travel through the watershed helps protect wildlife and improves water quality.
Volunteer!
We need your help! We are looking for volunteers to help us clean out the WATERGOAT system and collect data. If you are interested in learning more, contact Summer Gagnon at sgagnon@greenvillecounty.org.
