About Clear Texas Lakes

With high winds and high water comes an extraordinary amount of debris. A large portion of this debris gets deposited in tributaries and makes its way to the lakes. It then comes to rest on random shores and stays until another storm moves it, it sinks to the bottom of the lake, or it gets picked up. Some garbage may be purposefully littered by careless individuals or is accidentally blown out of boats.

That’s where Clear Texas Lakes comes in. Volunteers with Clear Texas Lakes circumnavigate the lake shorelines in boats and remove the trash and debris from the banks using nets, stabbers, grabbers, cables, and wenches. Their regular maintenance schedule helps to keep each lake served clear of trash and debris on a continuous basis.

Project Description & History

Clear Texas Lakes’ primary mission is to provide continuous removal of trash and debris from Texas Lake Shorelines.

Their initiative is simple. Picture all of the trash found on the side of Texas highways. This same problem exists on the shorelines of our lakes. Clear Texas Lakes nonprofit was formed in 2020 to assess and address the problem. They have found that most of the litter along and beyond the lakeshores has been gathering for years. Once this trash is cleaned up and disposed of, a regular sweep of the shorelines is all that is needed to stay on top of the problem. Clear Texas Lakes also discovered that many of the high trash areas are only accessible by boat, but the equipment needed to do the cleanup is minimal. Installing garbage cans in higher traffic remote areas has made the trash removal process much easier.

Since its inception in 2020, Clear Texas Lakes has piloted an intense cleanup effort and implementation of regular maintenance programs. Early on, Clear Texas Lakes secured partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers to provide free access to boat ramps and use of lakeside trash bins to assist with their mission. Their process includes circumnavigating North Texas lake shorelines using a specialized pontoon boat to locate and remove trash and debris. Clear Texas Lakes staff utilize nets, stabbers, grabbers, cables, and ropes to bag and dispose of the trash. Additionally, their regular maintenance program helps to keep each lake served clear of trash and debris on a continuous basis.

Community Impact

These activities also help to sustain a safe and biodiverse environment for all species, contributing to the conservation of wildlife habitats and helping to ensure that diverse species survive, breed, and flourish in and around Texas lake shorelines. This program also keeps Texas lakes clean and safe for people, helping to provide a beautiful and inviting environment for the millions recreating in and around the lakes annually!