CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In Tuesday's city council meeting, the city awarded a contract to a company tasked with identifying solutions for removing trash from Corpus Christi Bay.
Using funds from the FY 2021 Storm Water Capital Funds, $165,784 has been authorized for a professional services contract with Lockwood, Andrews & Newman (LAN). According to the company website, LAN is a national, full-service civil engineering firm that offers planning, engineering, and program management services.
For this project, the company will specifically focus on providing design, bid, and construction phase services for the Bay Water Quality Improvements project.
The project's goal is to identify and design solutions for the removal of trash and other floatable items in the stormwater system before it is discharged in Corpus Christi Bay. Currently, the City’s stormwater ends up in the bay through 40 outfalls along a half-mile area, from the Convention Center to Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital along Shoreline and Ocean Drive.
"Many of these outfalls have a history of depositing floatable items (cups, bottles, paper, bags) and trash into the bay," says a press release from the city. "As a result, problems have developed into citizen complaints, environmental degradation, aesthetic issues, public health concerns, and have become a regulatory compliance concern such as not meeting federal and state surface water quality standards for recreation. Additionally, they cause issues that can impact the aquatic life and pollute the waters used for tourism and recreation."
As one of the cities most popular tourist destinations, the bay, which is adjacent to destinations such as the Seawall, Shoreline Boulevard, Water’s Edge Park, the Marina, and McGee Beach, is an important part of Corpus Christi's tourist economy.
“Today is a significant step in the protection of the Corpus Christi Bay," Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo said. "Ensuring trash is picked up and items are removed from our stormwater system before they enter our bay is a critical step in its preservation. Safeguarding our Corpus Christi Bay is my priority."
Watch the city council meeting here:
