New trash skimmers to be installed in Huntington Harbour

Huntington Harbour will have seven new trash skimmers installed as the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a joint agreement to install debris collecting devices at select locations across the harbor.

Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, at their Sept. 12 meeting, establishing a working relationship with Huntington Beach to install the trash skimmers at seven locations within the city’s harbor.

Huntington Beach previously received more than $73,000 in grant funding from the Orange County Transportation Authority in 2016 to install marina trash skimmers.

Trash skimmers are partially submerged bins and help remove floating debris or trash from the water’s surface.

Installing and maintaining trash skimmers in Orange County’s northernmost waterway, according to county staff, help “improve water and ecological quality and enhance the aesthetics of Huntington Harbour.”

Huntington Beach will receive $12,186.25 from Orange County to help fund the installation and maintenance of trash skimmers.

The new skimmers will supplement several already in place at Huntington Harbour. Orange County would only be responsible for the skimmer installed near the Sheriff’s Department boat dock.

“Under the MOU, the city will be responsible for installation, inspection, maintenance and repair of the trash skimmers. OC Parks will provide electrical power to the skimmer and staff to remove accumulated trash/debris from the skimmer on a weekly basis,” county staff stated in a report to supervisors. “Impacts and costs associated with provision of electricity and staff time to remove trash/debris from the skimmers [are] expected to be minimal.”

Both the city and county share roles and responsibilities of maintaining Huntington Harbour.

Dana Point Harbor also utilizes trash skimmers.