New boom system aims to keep Lake Hiawatha clean

New boom system collects trash at Lake Hiawatha

New boom system collects trash at Lake Hiawatha

There’s a new system at one Minneapolis lake that is working to keep the water clean.

Saturday, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) installed a boom system at Lake Hiawatha.

Using floating booms and underwater nets, the system works to capture trash from the storm sewer.

“The booms will slow the water down and capture the floating trash,” said Kristen Meyer with Freshwater Society, a nonprofit that helped coordinate the project.

The boom cost about $22,000 and was paid for by a grant from Coca-Cola. City crews will collect the trash and analyze to determine where it’s coming from.

“You can learn a lot from what they collect and what we analyze,” Meyer said.

Lake Hiawatha is beloved by many for its scenic views but it’s also got a reputation for having a lot of trash, which city officials say can be carried from surrounding neighborhoods through the underground network of storm sewer pipes.

Thanks to the pilot program, the MPRB hopes the latter part of that reputation will soon change. If the program is successful, it could be replicated around the metro.

Of course, residents can also play a role in that effort by picking up and disposing of any trash that they find in the park.

(Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board)