Shoreline volunteers are expected to remove and recycle tons of trash from the waters and shoreline of Lake Travis during the 17th annual Underwater & Shoreline Cleanup on Sept. 11, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Lake Travis Underwater & Shoreline Cleanup is the largest scuba diving and shoreline cleanup in Texas and helps to raise public awareness of the importance of Lake Travis and the Highland Lakes and helps to keep the Lake healthy and clean. The event’s participants include several hundred certified scuba divers and shoreline volunteers, who help collect trash from the bottom of Lake Travis and the nine Travis County parks surrounding the Lake. The cleanup is followed by a volunteer thank-you party at Carlos ‘n Charlie’s on Lake Travis that will include a special recognition of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
As a result of the year’s epic drought, low lake levels have exposed vast shorelines littered with trash. Extra volunteers and manpower at this year’s cleanup will be key to gathering and taking away as much trash as possible from the lake bottom and extended shoreline. During the last drought in 2009, the cleanup had its most successful year in terms of amount of trash collected. Over 35 tons of debris was gathered from the water and shoreline of Lake Travis.
For 17 years, the community has come together to help protect and preserve one of Central Texas’ vital resources. The Lake Travis Underwater & Shoreline Cleanup began in 1994 as an informal gathering of local dive shops and has grown dramatically each year. The event is now managed by a partnership among the Colorado River Foundation, Keep Austin Beautiful, Travis County Parks, and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).
The event is made possible through the participation of local marinas, boat rental operations, community groups, and the following dive shops: Bay Area Divers, Deep Blue Scuba, Dive World Scuba, Eels on Wheels, Oak Hill Scuba, Pisces Scuba Club, Scubaland Adventures, Shoe Krewe Dive Club, Tom’s Dive & Swim, Travis County Emergency Unit, and the University Scuba Club. Local area businesses also contribute through various sponsorships and donations. Community support and involvement has been the key to the continued success of the cleanup.
Volunteers are still needed for both the underwater cleanup and thank-you party. Pre-registration is required. This year’s thank-you party will unite volunteers across the nation to make the tenth anniversary of 9/11 one of service and remembrance. To register as a diver, shoreline or party volunteer for the underwater cleanup, contact Keep Austin Beautiful at391-0622 or visit www.keepaustinbeautiful.org.
Sponsors of the 16th Annual Lake Travis Underwater & Shoreline Cleanup include: REI, Carlos ‘N Charlie’s, Patagonia, Brown Distributing Co., Emerald Point Marina, Brown Distributing Co., Waste Management, Coca-Cola, Just for Fun Watercraft Rental, Daybreak Boat Rentals, Beach Front Boat Rentals, Aquaholics Watercraft Rental, Lakeway Marina, Briarcliff Marina, Volente Boat Club, Blue Bell, Wandering River Recycling, Sail & Ski Center, Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP, Eriksen Marine, Randalls, Kerbey Lane Café, Austin Yacht Club, and I Bank Texas.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available and door prize donations for the volunteers are still needed. For more information, contact Melissa Miller at the Colorado River Foundation at 498-1587.