Texas-wide water cleanup initiative tackles Lake Austin, Colorado River
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Several environmental groups are teaming up this weekend to clean trash out of Lake Austin and the Colorado River, as part of a statewide initiative to keep Texas waterways clean and litter-free.
The Colorado River Alliance is hosting its third annual Lake Austin Cleanup on Saturday. It's part of a statewide cleanup initiative called "Trash Free Gulf," aimed at removing trash from waterways before it can float downstream and into the Gulf.
All Water Guides is also hosting a cleanup event at the Colorado River in east Austin as part of the initiative.
Lake Austin Cleanup
The Colorado River Alliance's young professionals’ group, the River Society, is partnering with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s Stewards of the Wild to take part in the initiative, which is being led by Gulf Trust and presented by H-E-B’s "Our Texas, Our Future."
Volunteers will work to remove trash from the water and shoreline that feed into the Texas Colorado River and downstream towards Matagorda Bay.
There are 160 volunteers registered to clean up Lake Austin by paddleboard and on land, from 10 a.m. to noon, according to a spokesperson for the event. They'll launch from Mozart's Coffee Roasters, which is providing volunteers with access to paddleboards through its paddleboard rental company.
The Lake Austin Cleanup has reached capacity and is no longer accepting volunteers, but those interested in getting involved in cleanup efforts can head to east Austin to help out with the Colorado River cleanup.
Cleanup the Colorado
Cleanup the Colorado is happening from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. All Water Guides and Trash Free Gulf are still seeking volunteers to help clean up the river. The meetup location is 6213 Levander Loop.
Organizers are asking that volunteers bring canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and rafts, if they have them. If you don't have one of those, you can still show up and borrow a boat from the Texas River School, according to Trash Free Gulf.
Gulf Trust is initiating cleanup efforts across Texas throughout the month of May in an effort to protect the Gulf.