It all started when a group of scuba divers in the Lake Travis area decided to make a difference. Instead of getting together for a recreational dive, they decided to get together for a day of pulling trash out from the waters of Lake Travis.
A few years later, the LCRA and the Colorado River Foundation decided to get on-board and help out with boat support and proper disposal of all the trash the divers had collected from the depths of the lake.
Because the waters of Lake Travis are constantly fluctuating, large amounts of trash become exposed during times of low water levels. Keep Austin Beautiful and Travis County joined forces and the Lake Travis shoreline was added to the cleanup effort. They helped organize the hundreds of volunteers that were ready to make a difference to one of the most valuable resources in the Lake Travis area.
It’s amazing what happens in the Lake Travis community when people come together and decide to make a difference.
What a group of divers started back in 1994 as a small cleanup effort has turned into the largest scuba diving and shoreline cleanup in Texas!
You can go back in time with a look at the Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup Timeline. It seems that everything, including the kitchen sink, comes out of Lake Travis during the cleanup.
Over the years, the amount of trash volunteers gather has ranged from 1.5 to 25 tons each year!
Back in 2000, the Lower Colorado River Authority’s barge and crane operators pulled out over 50 tons of debris that included: 15 boats, 12 boat docks, 8 vehicles, 5 refrigerators, and more than 250 metal drums.
Out of sight is not necessarily out of mind. For all of us that live in the Lake Travis area, this is our drinking water supply. Don’t mess with Texas!
Lake Travis Underwater & Shoreline Cleanup
Event Date: Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Dive and Shoreline Cleanup Volunteer: 9am – 11am
Volunteer Party at the Oasis: 11:30am – 1pm
Volunteer at the 22nd Annual Lake Travis Underwater & Shoreline Cleanup
The Cleanup is followed by a volunteer party from 11am – 1:30pm at The Oasis on Lake Travis that will include a free lunch, live music, kids’ activities, door prizes, and educational activities surrounding the protection and preservation of our natural resources.
Photo courtesy of the Keep Austin Beautiful Facebook Page
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on September 10, 2013 and updated for the 2016 event.
