Tashu Old Railroad Bridge Artificial Wetland is located under old railroad bridge at Gaoping River’s right bank in Kaohsiung City Tashu District. It, built on 2004, covered with an area of 120 hectare is the biggest artificial wetland and natural ecological riverbank park of the southern Taiwan.
On August 8, 2009, the 88 Taiwan Flood caused that the site was flooded and the wetland lost the original function of water quality purification, including heavy damage on wetland environment and ecology. Old Railroad Bridge wetland pool and environmental landscape were reconstructed on March, 2011 through the government and local volunteers’ efforts and have been running till now.
The main drainage source in system A is second class receiving water after being treated by Yong Fen Yu Paper Co., Ltd., which flows into A1 inlet through gravity flow before entering into system A; system B is divided into two channels from Chuliao River drainage. Partial drainage flows from B1 pool into wetland system through gravity flow, and finally discharges from outlet into Gaoping River.
Executive results of this project as of Dec. 25, 2015 are as follows:
(I) Environmental investigation and monitoring for wetland site and boundary
1. 4 times of water quality monitoring, 4 times of hydrological measurement, 2 times of sediment monitoring and 2 times of ecological investigation were completed as of Dec.25, 2015. For the results of hydrological measurement, average HRT (Hydraulic Retention Time) in system A and B is 5 and 0.5 days, respectively, showing shorter HRT compared to the past in system A and no significant difference in system B in recent years; however, it shows shorter HRT compared to system B in the previous 88 Taiwan Flood as system B had three pools on the north side of the railroad bridge before the flood and only two pools left for rebuilt after the flood, meaning HRT was shorten resulted from the decrease of the water area. Regulating water flow through sluice gate on/off can increase HRT and wetland’s removal effectiveness.
2. According to water quality monitoring results, the river water quality parameters are used to calculate pollution level. Based on four measurement results from Apr. 30, July 15, Sept. 15 and Nov. 3, 2015, system A, B and gravel contact system have removal efficiency towards turbidity, suspended solids, BOD, COD, NH3-N, TN and TP, in which gravel contact oxidation method has the best effect and next for system A. The reason why worse effect in system B is that HRT is relative short causing worse removal efficiency.
3. Sediment monitoring results showed that sediment pH in system A ＆ B is between 6.51 and 7.26, i.e. neutral. Investigation results from organic matter (OM) analysis showed that average OM contents in system A and B is 2.58 and 2.61%, average TP 531 and 873 mg/kg, TN 886 and 723 mg/kg, respectively. Each system’s OM content in the pool nearest the inlet is higher and sediment cumulant is relatively lower with the purification of water quality. For heavy metal, only Cd is lower than detection limit while Fe is highest percentage up to 34,996 mg/kg; average Mn in system A and B is 357 and 422 mg/kg, respectively; followed by average Zn in system A and B is 355 and 321 mg/kg. Each system’s distribution and basic property of heavy metal distribution are alike, which the content in the pool nearest the inlet is higher.
4. According to results from ecological monitoring investigation, a total of 521 individual counts and 45 birds species in 27 families; 2 terrestrial reptiles species in 2 families; 5 amphibians species in 4 families; 12 odonata species in 2 families; 34 butterfly species in 5 families were recorded; few aquatic reptiles were recorded in this investigation, only including Ocadia sinensis (4 individual counts), Brazilian turtle (one), soft-shelled turtle (one); a total of 7 fish species in 5 families; 129 plant species in 54 families were recorded.
(II) The results of wetland seeded teacher training and public guided tour
1. Wetland environment maintenance and administrative operation in 24 places
Management and maintenance work for Old Railroad Bridge Wetland Park was promoted through the cooperation of the community and local volunteers to carry out the project for wetland environment maintenance and administrative operation in 24 places, totaling 454 person-times from mid April till Dec.25.
2. Organize 12 sessions of educational training seminar for wetland management maintenance unit
In consideration of the area covered by Old Railroad Bridge Wetland Park is wide, it’s expected to organize educational training seminar for wetland management maintenance unit, allowing local volunteers and the community to understand and learn the maintenance and management of artificial wetland, and increasing trainees’ assistance capability and efficiency. For the current planned operations, 12 sessions were completed as of Dec. 25 in total of 345 person-times.
3. Organize 14 sessions of wetland seeded teachers and public guided tour training
Nearby community development society and non-government organization is combined to jointly participate in guided tour training for Old Railroad Bridge Wetland Park, so as to go deeper into the campus or other units to conduct education promotional activities through trained seeded teachers for guided tour. 14 sessions were completed as of Dec.25 in total of 324 person-times.
4. Organize at least 35 echelons of public’s participation in wetland park ecological and environmental education activity guided tour
Old Railroad Bridge Wetland Park’s guided tour carried through seeder teachers and volunteers to lead the participant public organization to personally experience the function of artificial wetland ecological conservation and environmental education by interpreting how wetland purifies water quality and the role of animals and plants play in the wetland. At present, 36 sessions of ecological and environmental education guided tour were completed as of Dec. 25 in total 1073 person-times.
5. Video records in wetland restoration process
Continuously filming activity training ecological restoration results in the park. A total of 10 films including maintenance management, water quality (flow) sampling, sediment sampling, ecological investigation and video records for various rebuilding (restoration) activities were recorded as of Dec. 15, 2015 for about a 12’04” film after post-clips.
6. Assist certification for Tashu Old Railroad Bridge artificial wetland environmental education site
At present, license files for the relevant unit’s site operation management have been acquired, and personnel assigned to participate in environmental education professional personnel training have been certified. So far, application form of the certification for environmental education facilities in Tashu Old Railroad Bridge artificial wetland park (2nd correction of revised draft) has been mailed to Environmental Professionals Training Institute, EPA on July 29, 2015 for further review.
7. Park billboard or explanation board update operation for 10 pieces
Currently, 10 pieces of billboard or explanation board design in the park with set locations have been completed to submit EPA’s consent before production. People can understand more information by using smart mobile devices to directly scan QR code attached to billboard for webpage link.
