The river gave us
this Saturday. Give it back.
Every fall, guides, anglers, paddlers, and neighbors spend a day pulling trash off the Lower Colorado, then celebrate together on the bank when the work is done.
The Colorado River.
Carving across the great State of Texas, and straight through the heart of Austin, the beautiful Colorado River begins in NW Texas near Lubbock and drains SE all the way to the Texas coast at Matagorda Bay.
Austin sits half-way between the headwaters of the Colorado River and Matagorda Bay and is uniquely positioned at the head of a bottleneck in the watershed. Longhorn Dam, on Austin’s east side, is the last major dam on the Colorado River. From there, it’s a straight shot to the coast for any trash that makes its way into the river.
The LoCo Trash Bash.
All Water Guides + Cleanup the Colorado decided to target the problem through a grassroots river cleanup focusing on the first 40 miles of the Lower Colorado River below Longhorn Dam.
In 2018 and 2019, hundreds of volunteers participating in the LoCo Trash Bash pulled out 14 tons of trash in the river and along the banks.
Cleanup while floating a section of the river or cleanup on the banks!
Explore the river stretch
Click any map pin or select a section below to view access points, section captains, and directions to the Big Webberville after-party!
One river, nine ways to help
Six water sections for boats, kayaks, and canoes. Three bank sites for anyone who'd rather stay on solid ground. Click any section to locate it on the map!
Best for Rafts, Canoes, and Kayaks. Great for kids and folks new to the water!
Contact: Shea McClanahan (sheam8@gmail.com)
Bank site 1 — HWY 183 / Montopolis Bridge
Great for kids (shaded and on river's edge) and folks who can only come for a short time.
Contact: Cassio Silva (info@locotrashbash.net)
Contact: Cassio Silva (info@locotrashbash.net)
Bank site 2 — FM 973 Bridge over the Colorado River
Great for kids (shaded and on river's edge) and folks who can only come for a short time.
Contact: Grahame Jones (Grahame@tcatexas.org)
Best for Canoes and Kayaks. Difficult take-out (you cannot drive to the river's edge; need to carry or roll boats uphill at Austin's Colony).
Contact: Bonner Armbruster (bcarmbruster@gmail.com)
Bank site 3 — Austin's Colony
Park at the Crownover St. Cul-de-sac and walk down to the river. Lots of vegetation and muddy.
Contact: Cassio Silva (info@locotrashbash.net)
Best for drift boats or jet boats due to section length and motorized boat traffic.
Contact: Cassio Silva (info@locotrashbash.net)
Good for motorized boats, rafts, canoes, and kayaks. Expect duck hunters on this stretch early in the day.
Contact: Cassio Silva (cassio.silva.tx@gmail.com)
Motorized boats, rafts, canoes, and kayaks can put in and take out directly at Big Webberville Park.
Contact: Alvin Dedeaux (info@locotrashbash.net)
What we've pulled out so far
A look back at our history from 2018 through 2025. Slide, drag, or click the arrows to explore photos, videos, and milestones.
The work began: The Inaugural LoCo Trash Bash kicked off in Spring 2018 below Longhorn Dam on Mother's Day weekend. Volunteers hauled 6.5 tons of trash off the river, filling two full roll-off dumpsters provided by Texas Disposal Systems to the top!
YEAR ONE · 6.5 TONS · 2 DUMPSTERS
The work continued: The second year was bigger and even more productive! Over 150 volunteers gathered to pull nearly 8 tons of trash out of the river. Crews hauled massive commercial tractor tires between Texas River School and the FM 973 bridge, tackling the persistent issue of illegal dumping along the watershed.
150+ VOLUNTEERS · 8 TONS · TIRE RECOVERY
Our 3rd year got bigger: Over 175 volunteers gathered to clear almost 10 tons of trash along 40 miles of river. Dumpsters at the FM 973 bridge were filled beyond capacity, along with large trash trailers packed with plastic bottles, tires, and river debris. A true grassroots community effort!
175+ VOLUNTEERS · 10 TONS · 40 MILESRecord turnout & milestone impact: Roughly 400 volunteers—including local guide services, anglers, outdoor brands, and corporate teams—united on the water to haul out tens of thousands of pounds of trash, celebrating a massive community achievement on the riverbanks!
400 VOLUNTEERS · RECORD TURNOUTExpanded route & coordination: A highly structured, seamless operation spanning 6 water sections and 3 bank sites downstream toward Big Webberville Park, uniting boaters, paddlers, and land crews for a cleaner Lower Colorado.
EXPANDED ROUTE · 9 SITES TOTALA focused crew keeps every section covered from Montopolis Bridge down to Webberville.
FOCUSED CREWEighth annual event — cumulative trash removed officially crosses 65+ tons milestone since 2018!
65+ TONS TOTALSponsor tiers
Named after the birds that share this stretch of river with us.
Grab a friend. Grab a bag.
Registration takes two minutes. The river takes care of the rest.