This recently constructed facility is located at the city of Denton Wastewater Treatment Facility on Pecan Creek.
The research center consists of twelve constructed “streams” that imitate natural rivers found throughout the region. To mimic real world conditions the streams were built with a gravel substrate, with pools placed at the end of each stream segment. A variety of aquatic organisms (including insects, larvae, snails, invertebrates, and fish), obtained from Pecan Creek, colonize the artificial streams.
Wastewater that has flowed through the facility is re-routed back to the treatment plant to prevent possible contamination of Pecan Creek. This facility is useful in investigating the role of invertebrates in bio-accumulating pollutants bound in sediments, the role of nutrients in pollutant transport in streams, and many related concerns. The site may also be useful in coping with emerging pollutants such as MTBE and atrazine, and may also be useful in assessing the performance of various designs of wastewater treatment plants.
Image: Green frog in duckweed, © 2002 Chet King