Normally the trails that run alongside the Trinity River are bustling with cyclists, runners, fishermen, or people who just enjoy walking the trails. But with heavy rain and flooding earlier in the week, trash has crept up to the banks of the river, and now the city is asking the community for help to clean up the mess.
The City of Fort Worth is asking residents to volunteer for a special cleanup effort along the Trinity River this weekend. Volunteers are asked to pick up trash in the public areas along the Trinity River. No registration is needed, and volunteers may come and go as they please, working for 30 minutes or all day, if they choose.
“There’s just a lot of trash everywhere,” Natalie Trevino, a walker on the trail, said in an interview. “I’ve only been walking a mile, and I’ve seen tons.”
Efforts to clean the riverside began Thursday as people picked up trash from the Panther Island Pavilion to University Drive. In just one day, enough garbage had been picked up along the banks of the river to fill an entire standard dumpster nearly twice over.
The supply pickup locations for this weekend’s cleanup effort will be located at White Settlement Trailhead Park, Panther Island, and Clearfork Trailhead.
Streams and Valleys, a group that tries to clean and protect rivers, has been leading the efforts to clean the Trinity and is coordinating with other groups.
“It’s focused on the next few days, but it should be a daily thing,” said Jeanette Frank, a Streams and Valleys member. “If you see some trash, just pick it up. It’s as simple as that.”
If you have questions or would like to volunteer, contact Keep Fort Worth Beautiful at 817-392-2046.