Watergoat coming to Riverwalk Park aims to prevent Halifax River pollution

In an effort to help keep its part of the Halifax River clean, Port Orange will install a Watergoat in Riverwalk Park this spring, the city’s Environmental Advisory Board recently announced.

A Watergoat is a chain of floats bound together to create a net-like barrier that serves “as a crucial tool in preventing litter and debris from entering the waterways,” according to the city.

It is designed “to intercept trash that flows through storm drains … capturing debris before it can pollute the surrounding water bodies.”

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The city secured a $4,500 grant from the Surfing Evolution and Preservation Foundation to fund the Watergoat’s installation. They typically cost around $5,000, according to Kristine Cunningham, chair of the Environmental Advisory Board.

The Surfing Evolution and Preservation Foundation is a Cocoa-based nonprofit organization that supports programs and activities that “sustain the surfing lifestyle and protect Florida’s beaches for generations to come.” Part of its mission is to “fund and promote community activities such as beach clean-up events, educational materials and conservation initiatives.”

“It’s all been because a lot of people really care about the river, and they want to make sure the cities are doing everything they can with volunteers to clean the garbage up so that it doesn’t not go into our precious Halifax River,” Cunningham said at a February City Council meeting.

What will the Watergoat at Riverwalk look like?

The city is “tentatively scheduled” to install the structure on March 28, according to city spokesman Mike Springer.

The Watergoat will be on the west side of the Riverwalk footbridge. The 25-foot net will be attached to two trees onto the canal and be fully submerged in the water, according to city spokesman Mike Springer.

“The Watergoat serves as an important tool in our efforts to combat water pollution,” Springer wrote in an email to The News-Journal. “Due to Riverwalk Park's high public use, it provides an ideal location to educate people on the importance of keeping trash out of our waterways.”

A sign illustrating what a Watergoat is and how it works will be placed near the device at Riverwalk Park, according to Cunningham.

Mayor Don Burnette called the idea a “no-brainer” and said he is “glad” to see the Watergoat come to Riverwalk.

He said he hopes the device “not only keeps the water clean but makes it drain better and faster by avoiding the clogs of trash.”

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“Anytime we have an opportunity to do something simple and yet make that big a difference, the question that comes to mind is not, ‘Should we do it?’ but ‘Why haven’t we been doing it already?’” Burnette said. “We need to look for other simple opportunities just like it.”

According to Springer, “volunteers will primarily be tasked with cleaning and maintaining the Watergoat,” with occasional help from city staff as needed.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Preventing pollution: Port Orange to install Watergoat at Riverwalk