Installing Trash Barriers in Village Creek Lake Arlington Watershed and Fort Worth Parks (TX)

Many streams in the City of Fort Worth are impacted by litter. To address this issue, Trinity River Authority, UpSpire, and the City of Fort Worth have collaborated to install watergoat litter traps in sixteen locations. Six were installed as a pilot program by UpSpire in January 2022, and the remaining ten were installed by Trinity River Authority in May 2022.

This project is funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program. Trinity River Authority, UpSpire, Office of Sustainability at University of Texas at Arlington, and Tarrant Regional Water District have contributed in-kind matching funds.

It includes plans to purchase, install and maintain multiple trash barriers at highly visible and heavily littered locations within Village Creek Lake Arlington (VCLA) Watershed and the City of Fort Worth Parks. This will aid in the expansion of the UpSpire Waterways litter prevention program, increase community engagement and restore 21,128 acres of VCLA watershed and 807 acres within the City of Fort Worth. Up to 1,332 lbs. of trash will be removed from the area per month.

With the help of a $39,600 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant, 10 watergoats were installed in May to help improve water quality in the Village Creek and Lake Arlington watershed, which covers 143 miles of North Texas.

The grant – along with support from the Trinity River Authority funds UpSpire’s installation and maintenance of the watergoats, which impact an estimated 21,128 acres of the Village Creek-Lake Arlington watershed.

More Information:

• Fort Worth Report: A Simple Device Has Removed 6000+ Pounds of Trash
• Trinity River Authorities: Village Creek-Lake Arlington Implementation Projects
• Watergoats in Fort Worth