Plastic

Harris County commissioners approved a partnership with University of Houston researchers to study floating vegetated islands aimed at improving stormwater quality at a county detention basin. The islands, installed this spring at the Stormwater Detention Basin in Reverend William and Audrey Lawson Park, are made of recycled plastic holding native wetland plants whose roots dangle into the water to absorb sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants before they reach bayous.

The three-year, $500,000-plus study is largely funded by a state environmental grant, with the remainder covered by a 2018 flood control bond. Officials hope results could guide wider use of the islands at detention basins region-wide.