Pavaho Wetlands & Pre-Treatment Pond
With Corporate Day of Service right around the corner, the Conservancy staff visited this year’s volunteer project sites: Pavaho Wetlands and Pre-Treatment Pond. During this annual event, hundreds of employees from all across Dallas join forces to clean up trash and debris and plant native plants in the Trinity River Corridor.
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- We began our outing at Trammell Crow Park, accessible from the Sylvan Avenue bridge.
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- A view of the Pavaho Wetlands from the Sylvan Avenue bridge. These wetlands are currently filled with water and are important parts of ecosystems that sustain both native and migrating wildlife.
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- The Pavaho Pump Station, upgraded in 2012 and located outside of the levee, can pump up to 375,000 gallons per minute.
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- The pre-treatment pond on Canada Drive collects storm water runoff that will eventually flow toward the pump station and into the Trinity River.
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- The Conservancy staff would like to thank Karen Woodard and Judy Schmidt of the Trinity River Watershed for being excellent guides during this outing.
The Trinity River is a place where we can all gather to be in nature and enjoy wildlife. But complex systems along it also work hard for the residents of Dallas providing vital flood and stormwater management. Drainage systems move water away from residential areas into the river and levees work with the floodways to prevent flooding in surrounding neighborhoods. Unfortunately, trash and debris from our neighborhoods also make their way into the river through these channels. It is clear that we all must do our part to keep these systems clean so they can continue to protect our city.
About the Area
The Pavaho Pump Station, one of seven pump stations along the Trinity River, is located on Canada Drive just east of Sylvan Avenue supports storm drains in West Dallas including neighborhoods like La Bajada, La L’aceate, and Los Altos. Historically, these neighborhoods suffered regular flooding after heavy rains. Residents and businesses were isolated after storms and there was significant damage to personal property. The new Pavaho Pump Station was completed in 2012 and pumps 375,000 gallons of water per minute.
In order to get to the Pavaho Pump Station, water run-off and storm drains collect in a pre-treatment pond located off of Canada Drive near the Trinity River Levee. As the water rises, it flows along a drainage ditch to the pump station where trash is removed and water is pumped inside the levees. These stations move water from a holding area, like a pond, into the stormwater system. The powerful pumps increase the pressure when it is not possible for gravity to carry the water into the floodway.
An important natural part of this system are the Pavaho Wetlands located inside the levees, but outside of the river’s banks. Wetlands are areas where water covers soil or where water is present near the soil surface for various periods of time throughout the year. These wetlands collect water rainwater, create key ecosystems for migrating birds, and prevent erosion that fast-flowing or channeled water can cause.
Upcoming Events
As we couldn’t help but notice, trash often collects along with the water. Litter from the side of the road, on sidewalks, and in yards makes its way downstream and finds its way into our waterways. The Trinity Park Conservancy supports many efforts both to clean our waterways of this debris and planting native and flood resistant grasses that will bolster the Trinity River ecosystem.
This year’s Corporate Day of Service on April 13th will focus on planting the Pavaho Wetlands inside of the levee and cleaning up the trash in the floodway. Another group will be using canoes to clean up the Pre-Treatment Pond, which captures stormwater and debris from the surrounding neighborhoods. Volunteers will also plant native aquatic species around the pond to enhance the habitat for birds and wildlife.
UPDATE: 2018 CORPORATE DAY OF SERVICE IS POSTPONED UNTIL 04/27 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. Please send any questions to [email protected] or call 214.740.1616
