Divers, Kayakers, and a Few Hundred Neighbors: Texans Spent September Cleaning Their Lakes

In late September, hundreds of volunteers — including scuba divers — spread out across the shores of Lake Travis to pull trash off the banks, out of the parks, and up from the bottom of the lake itself. It was one of many volunteer cleanups held across Texas this September, and together they add up to something quietly great: a whole lot of ordinary people giving their local water a better year.

What happened

The Colorado River Alliance and Travis County Parks hosted the Lake Travis Cleanup on Sunday, September 20, from 9 to 11 a.m., with the event taking place at more than seven Travis County Parks surrounding Lake Travis as well as dive sites and shoreline neighborhoods, according to the event announcement posted by the Village of Volente. Volunteers worked together to remove trash and debris from the shoreline, from parks around the lake, and from the bottom of the lake — and this is a big operation, with organizers noting more than 500 volunteers to thank. The event's organizers have called it "the largest underwater and shoreline cleanup in Texas." In past years, volunteers have scuba dived, combed river shorelines, explored creek-side parks, and kayaked along stretches of the Texas Colorado River to remove trash, litter, and debris.

It wasn't just Lake Travis

September turned out to be cleanup month all over the state. Down in the Hill Country, the Friends of Garner held their Annual River Clean-up on September 12 at Garner State Park, welcoming volunteers of all ages to help keep the Frio River beautiful. Up north, Natural Awakenings' Dallas–Fort Worth edition reported in late August that North Texans could put environmental stewardship into action this September with volunteer cleanups targeting lakes, rivers, parks and neighborhoods across the region — including an Eagle Mountain Lake Trash Bash with the Tarrant Regional Water District on September 12, followed by an after-party, a Trinity River Trash Bash in Fort Worth on September 19 — which is also National CleanUp Day, and a Cedar Creek Lake cleanup on September 26 to close out the series.

Why it matters

These events move real weight. The Trinity River Authority, which supported TRWD's Trash Bash on the Trinity River in Fort Worth, reports that at one of its cleanups in Trinity County, 130 volunteers collected 8,575 pounds of trash from Lake Livingston and surrounding shorelines, with volunteers representing more than 30 communities across the region and beyond. At another event, volunteers collected over 105 bags of trash, 4 tires, and many bulk items along 1,337 feet of shoreline at Lake Arlington, cleaning 2.3 acres and removing over 3,600 pounds of waste.

And it's bigger than any one lake. As the Colorado River Alliance puts it, big volunteer days like the Lake Travis Cleanup are a reminder that Lake Travis is part of the river system — we are all connected via the River. Every bag hauled off a Texas shoreline is a small favor to everyone living downstream.

Want in next time?

You didn't miss your chance. For the Love of the Lake hosts a monthly shoreline cleanup at White Rock Lake in Dallas, so there's always a next one. And in Frisco, the Clean It & Green It: Streams event — focused on keeping local waterways litter-free and healthy — has pre-registration open October 1 through 18, 2026. Two hours, a pair of gloves, and a stretch of shoreline: that's the whole job description.

If this is your kind of Texas — the kind where folks show up on a Saturday morning for their local river — you're our kind of reader. Browse our Texas collection, or grab the Texas State Pride Tee and wear it to the next cleanup. It'll pair nicely with work gloves.

Common questions

Do I need experience or gear to join a cleanup?

Generally, no. At the Garner State Park event, for example, volunteers were asked to bring comfortable clothing, water shoes, gloves, sun protection, and a water bottle, with cleanup supplies and trash bags provided. Most events work the same way — show up, grab a bag, go.

Can kids come along?

Usually, yes. The Friends of Garner event welcomed volunteers of all ages, and family-friendly formats are common across these cleanups.

Does a couple hours of litter pickup really help?

The numbers say so. One Trinity River Authority cleanup alone pulled 8,575 pounds of trash from Lake Livingston and surrounding shorelines. Multiply that by dozens of events each fall, and it's a serious gift to Texas water.

Reported by Village of Volente / Colorado River Alliance. Details as published at the time of writing.