Intermittent patches of bubbles broke the surface of Lake Travis, followed by the dark form of a scuba diver carrying a bag of trash gathered from the murky depths.


photo by Anne-Marie Huff

Others, with their trash bags weaving through weeds and over rocks, picking up debris exposed by the receding waters at the 15th annual Lake Travis Underwater and Shoreline Cleanup on Sunday morning.

Local businesses and non-profits came together to clean the lake from top to bottom.

“The amount of trash has gone down over the years that we’ve collected,” said Brian Block, executive director of Keep Austin Beautiful, one of the organizing groups. “Several years ago, we collected as much as 10 tons, and it’s gone down to about five or six.”

The event began with a small group of divers but has grown in support. Along with Keep Austin Beautiful, the Colorado River Foundation, Travis County, the Lower Colorado River Authority and various local dive shops help organize and sponsor the event.

Volunteers were sent to more than 10 locations around the lake during the cleanup.

Employees and owners of participating scuba shops served as the coordinators at each cleanup site, facilitating the volunteers and divers. Due to the drought and low water levels, trash and debris that have been covered since the last big drought in the 1950s had resurfaced, giving volunteers a brief look into the past. Numerous vintage beer cans were collected from the water’s edge, as well as fragments of old boats.

Lonnie Moore, president of the Protect Lake Travis Association, said the low lake levels have actually contributed to the cleanup’s success.

“We are taking advantage of the drought,” he said. “The lake is down more than 30 feet from average, so it gives us an opportunity to clean things we wouldn’t normally be able to see.”

Following the cleanup, the trash was taken to Emerald Point Marina to be sorted. Next door, volunteers gathered at Carlos ‘n Charlie’s for complimentary burgers and hot dogs.

In addition, volunteers were given T-shirts and tickets entering them in a raffle.

“People are doing community service, but we also make it fun and celebrate their accomplishments,” Block said.

Every year, volunteers are invited to participate in a contest for the most unusual find, which is judged in the last hour of the celebration portion of the event. This year, strange finds entered in the contest included a tattered newspaper from 1951, a metal shoe and an old, rusted propeller.

But this is just a glimpse of the diverse artifacts people recover during the cleanups. Kevin Arnold, former president of the University Scuba Club, said cleaning participants have found items ranging from drug paraphernalia to skimpy underwear and satellite dishes.

Tara Akins, development associate for the Colorado River Foundation, said over the last 14 years, the event has brought out 14,000 volunteers and 70 tons of garbage. She said Lakeway and Volente have now organized similar, but smaller cleanups.

“Our short-term goal is to clean up trash,” she said. “Over time, the public awareness campaign is what’s important.”