Salt Lake County has found an innovative way to get rid of the nearly 85,000 cubic yards of spoils dredged from Decker Lake.
It's called recycling.In a pilot project to begin the second phase of the long-abandoned cleanup of the lake, Salt Lake County is mixing the heavily organic but clay-based waste with sludge and sand in a 60-20-20 mixture. The effort was the brainchild of Steve Jensen, the county's water resources planning coordinator, and Richard Koenig, an instructor in Utah State University's extension services lab. The result? "It looks like a beautiful black topsoil," said Trace Robinson, West Valley's deputy city engineer.
Since dredging operations ended at the lake in August, mounds and mounds of the organic matter have remained along Decker Lake's shores for two reasons: The spoils must be de-watered before they can be moved, and the county was deciding exactly how to get rid of the mudlike substance, estimated at 235 million pounds. According to Jensen, also project coordinator for the Decker Lake Restora-tion Program, recycling the lake spoils just makes good economic and environmental sense.
"I want to do something with the material that is beneficial. We want to make as much topsoil out of this stuff as we can, even if we have to sell it," Jensen said. "Let's utilize it for a good public use."
So far, a little over 10,000 cubic yards of the dredged matter has been mixed. Jensen said it's taken two weeks to make 2,000 to 3,000 cubic yards of topsoil.
"This pilot project is to see what it costs us to make it. If it's cost-effective, we're going to make as much as we can. This could be a several monthslong endeavor," Jensen said. "It may take a year to process it all and haul it away."
The Decker Lake Wetlands Preserve Foundation hopes it doesn't take that long, though. Until all the dredged material can be removed from the lake's shores, landscaping on the proposed educational preserve is halted. Foundation Chair Dianna Lehmann said a best-case scenario would have all the spoils removed by the end of winter, when development plans on the preserve's landscaping could begin. If it takes the county and foundation until the summer to move the spoils, development is delayed until fall 1996.
Right now, Lehmann said the foundation is looking for in-kind donations and offers to haul the recycled mixture away. Jensen said project engineers estimated the cost of removal at $160,000 - or $19 a ton. For that price, Jensen said he could convert the spoils into much-needed topsoil. Cougar Park, 200 S. 4000 West; a new golf course at 6200 S. Wasatch Blvd., an old gravel pit; and a planned West Valley City park at 3200 West are all pining for the new topsoil.
"This project saves money and it saves space at the landfill," Salt Lake County Commissioner Brent Overson said. "It's a good use of common sense to recycle a material that would normally be thrown away."