Effort to Reduce Trinity River Trash Continues

Recent Rains Reveal the Problem Still Exists

The recent rain across North Texas has been great for agriculture, but has also serves as a reminder that trash remains a problem along the Trinity River.

When the roaring waters of the Trinity River begin to recede, residents witness excess trash floating along the shores.
 
"It'll be up by the banks and stuff and I fish here a lot and I don't really want to see the trash," said fisherman Kefton Williams. "I want a nice clean area for me to fish in."
 
Williams visits the Trinity at least once a week, and while the high water near Trinity Park shows no sign of what likely likes beneath, he always makes sure to do his part.
 
"If I do bring something to eat or drink with me, I take the trash and put it in my bag that I have with me," said Williams.
 
The Tarrant Regional Water District and its city partners have been asking folks to pick up 10 pieces of trash on Tuesdays for more than a year now. And while it might be tough to tell based on what you find on the river banks, TRWD said they have signs of success.
 
"We're already at our goal of 5,000 pledges, in fact today we're at 5,800 plus," said Kari Schmidt, TRWD Community Relations Coordinator.
 
Most of those volunteer pledges come from community events, with several more planned for this weekend. But Schmidt said it's clear to those involved in the Reverse Litter and 10 on Tuesdays campaigns, it's catching on.
 
"People are really hearing the messages and they're taking hold and they're kind of making it a routine," she said. "We know that 10 on Tuesday is working because it puts a solution in your hands and anyone can do it."
 
And with trash washing ashore once again, the hope is more people will do it so the trash becomes a far less familiar sight.
 
"We want to keep Texas as clean as possible," Williams said.
 
The water district is still looking for more volunteers for this saturday's Eagle Mountain Lake clean-up.
 
Meanwhile, Operation Beautification in Dallas has closed registration because it's gotten so many volunteers.
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