A device called a "trash boom" is being installed on the Jordan River to help skim off massive amounts of flowing garbage and debris.
The device unveiled on Monday is meant to prevent the garbage from reaching open waters, sensitive wetlands and bird habitat of the Great Salt Lake. The lake provides critical migratory habitat for thousands of waterfowl. But it's also a terminal lake, meaning it is a collection point for most of the runoff from surrounding mountains.
Chris Brown, a director of stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Utah, said the debris problem has worsened in recent years with population growth along the banks of the Jordan River, primarily in Salt Lake County.
