Since it was constructed, the Pilot Bank has withstood high river flows during large storms. The trees on the bank have matured and provide a buffer between the river and floodplain. On the slope of the bank, the coconut mesh fabric has degraded as designed, and the woody shrubs and grasses have taken root and provide strength and stability.
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The Science Team constructed the Pilot Bank to test whether riverbank stabilization is effective in reducing the amount of mercury-impacted soil that enters the river and enhancing the aquatic habitat and riparian zone, which is the interface between the land and the river.
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries provided input on the design of the Pilot Bank, which was constructed in seven basic steps:
To test if the stabilization was effective, the Science Team measured mercury levels in water and river sediment and aquatic organisms before and after construction. The results were positive and provided the support to continue bank stabilization activities at other locations.
Mercury concentrations in sediment, pore water, and Asiatic clam samples collected along the Pilot Bank have steadily declined following the completion of the project in 2009. In fact, inorganic mercury concentrations in pore water have decreased by more than 90% in this time.