Deep Debris Boom for River Intake Structure

River Debris Boom

Question: I am looking for a deep boom that could be placed in front of a river intake structure to minimize debris entering the intake. The debris boom is for a small hydro scheme. We will be abstracting from a lowland river.

We want to try and minimize the amount of larger debris that can enter the intake upstream of the screen. That is the main debris I would be trying to limit. What is the difference between the trashmesh boom to collect debris and the permanent?

Answer: Thank you for your inquiry! The selection of the product is really going to depend on the water conditions and type and quantity of floatable debris. There are a couple of differences in construction between our Trash Mesh Debris Boom and our permanent debris boom for aquatic weed control. The first difference is the material used. The trashmesh boom features a construction from either stainless steel or marine grade galvanized s teel.

Give us a call at 1-772-646-0597 or fill out our quote request form to discuss your requirements.

Trashmesh Boom and Permanent Boom Differences

The permanent boom, by contrast, is typically constructed entirely from an algaecide treated PVC belting.

The second difference is in regards to their style and construction. The trashmesh boom features the mesh steel sections with orange floats on their exterior. This helps to block debris and larger items, and is fairly rigid in its construction. The permanent containment boom contains primarily PVC float belting and can be used for extended periods of time.

Another option for a debris boom for river intake structure you might consider is the HDPE Log Debris Boom. This boom is extremely similar in design to the trashmesh model, but will instead use molded high density polyethylene rather than steel.

Heavy Duty Debris Boom Deflects Material

Based on the drawings reviewed and the pictures it appears that the woody debris is entering the reservoir during seasonal rain and carrying this into the water body where it gets submerged and blocks you intake:

We can deploy a HD Perma Boom for the inlet. We would recommend the 24 inch version and set it to deflect the debris material to one shore and place a trash rack or cage there for easy retrieval after storm events. I think you will see a drastic drop in the floatable debris material making it to the intake.

This is a painful exercise to clean if there is a lot of material but beats not being operational. The maintenance on the net system will reduce over time as the first system starts to work. If you sent a dive team in and removed the stumps and material it may not even require option two, but the upfront costs of doing that need to be considered.

Give us a call at 1-772-646-0597 or fill out our quote request form to discuss your requirements.