Dubuque recycles plastic into floating wildlife habitats
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In Dubuque, Iowa, city workers transformed approximately 67,000 plastic bottles into 14 floating islands within Bee Branch Creek.
The city undertook this project as part of a larger effort to address long-term flooding issues in the Bee Branch Watershed, an area where over half of Dubuque’s residents live or work. Previously, repeated flash floods had damaged over 1,300 homes and businesses.
City planners reopened the creek, which had been covered by a storm sewer a century before, and incorporated the floating islands into the restoration. These 2,674-square-foot islands mimic natural river archipelagos and are anchored to the creek bed with stainless-steel cables, allowing them to move with the water. The islands now support plant and animal life, improving water quality by filtering pollutants and reducing erosion.
Plant roots create habitats for fish, insects, and crustaceans, while the islands themselves provide resting and nesting places for birds. City workers regularly inspect the islands to ensure their continued health, replacing plants and repairing fencing as needed. The $176,000 project, funded through grants and donations, demonstrates how cities can use recycled materials to create ecological benefits alongside flood control infrastructure.
