US Environmental Resource and Recovery Group LLC

Problem The Blue Heron Aqua Farm Site is an abandoned fish aquaculture operation situated on approximately 48.4 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County. In 2009, the District’s lease/reservation to Farm expired and the aquaculture production was discontinued. The infiltration pond, located on the site, is approximately 260 feet long by 75 feet wide and up to six feet deep. Average water column TP concentration are 0.23 mg/L but have been recorded as high as 1.0 mg/L. The average sediment thickness in the infiltration pond is approximately 1.192 inches (~1 ¼”). Approximately 867 cubic yards or 1,214 tons of sediment is present with an average TP concentration of 12,000 mg/kg. Owing to the potential discharge of the sites surface waters to the sensitive downstream areas of the Everglades National Park (ENP) the objectives of this treatment were to reduce P concentrations in the surface waters and immobilize bioavailable P in the sediment. In addition, acute elutriate toxicity testing was conducted as required by the FDEP for approvals prior to treatment.

Solution USERRG in collaboration with Texas Aquatic Harvesting Inc. and URS Corporation agitated the surficial sediments in the infiltration pond using a diesel powered Tiger Cutter (see photo), followed immediately by an application of WP-1™ mineral adsorption technology to the surface waters at the site. Dry powdered WP-1™ was mixed into a slurry using in-situ water and broadcast over the site, both by boat and from the shoreline. As the WP-1™ settled through the water column, it bound soluble reactive forms of P to its mineral surfaces and repartitioned them as an immobile consolidated layer of sediment at the sediment-water interface.

Results COMING SOON