Water Improvement Projects
Karns Meadow Stormwater Treatment Wetland
Sediment deposition in the Karns Meadow Stormwater Wetland
Karns Meadow is 40-acre open wetland area located in the town of Jackson, Wyoming. The east side of Karns Meadow is constructed stormwater treatment wetland. The melting snow that is removed from town-owned streets and stored on the Rodeo Grounds adjacent to Karns Meadow flows directly into the meadow by design. The snowmelt carries disproportionate amounts of sediment and road-derived salts, metals, and hydrocarbons with it. The series of sedimentation and wetland basins filter up to 27% of the stormwater runoff from the town of Jackson, significantly improving the physical and chemical quality of urban runoff entering Flat Creek.
Teton Conservation District’s partners on the Karns Meadow project included Town of Jackson, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Jackson Hole OneFly, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited, Jackson Hole Ducks Unlimited, Intermountain Aquatics, Inc., and Alder Environmental LLC.
Fish Creek Residential Wastewater Treatment Wetland Demonstration Project
Teton Conservation District and Intermountain Aquatics, Inc. tested the use of a small artificial wetland to enhance treatment of wastewater from a single family home in Wilson, Wyoming in 2010 and 2011. The recirculating vertical flow (RVF) wetland was installed between the existing septic tank and leachfield. Future application of advanced waste treatment systems in areas with high groundwater may play an important role in controlling water contamination. Other partners on this project included Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Teton County Engineering Department.