Canoeing the Trinity

Canoeing the Trinity

              I was very much excited to go canoeing along the Trinity River. I had been running along the trails many times, but I had never been on or in – thank goodness – the seemingly currentless water. I signed up to go on the Thursday, which actually happened to be the busiest day of the week for me as I had an important exam the following morning. However, the canoe trip served as a great escape from studying. So, I arrived at the TCU recreation center on time and waited with to embark on a fun, relaxing getaway. We hopped into vans and rode to the starting point. After unloading the canoes and kayaks from the trailer, we prepared ourselves. Before departing, however, we took a stunning photo in front of the gigantic billboard that advertised the upcoming “gun show.” So, it was only appropriate to take a group picture in front of the billboard, with everyone flexing their muscles at the camera. I was happy to see that the photo made it to the Lit & Civ homepage. After our photo shoot, we listened to the safety check and paired up; I paired up with Jordan, who I had not met before. We introduced ourselves proceeded to drag our canoe down the never-ending hill toward the water; I tend to be optimistic, but that was a rather long way to drag the canoe. Despite our weak arms, we slid the canoe into the water and begin paddling.

The water was calm and smooth on the surface. There was not much visible trash at the starting point, which surprised me. I was already aware of the quality the Trinity River – gross and undrinkable. Despite this awareness, I was not prepared for the amount of garbage that I encountered on the trip. It was simply unbelievable how much filth and trash polluted the water. Cans, trash bags, furniture, Styrofoam, and plastic covered the surface of various areas of the river like Lilli pads cover a pod. Even though the sky was painted in sunset colors and the green grass and trees covered the edges of the river, the ambiance was jaded by the water. I began to ask simple questions:

·       Where does all the trash come from?

·       Who would just throw trash into the water and for what reason?

·       What can we do to rid the water of trash?

·       Is it already too late?

              I know that the there is a Trinity River clean-up excursion every month or so; I wonder how much trash they pick up each time. Is there even a noticeable difference? I hope so. If not, maybe we need to do more. As communities and business are becoming more green and eco-friendly, maybe we could get companies and organizations to take a more direct approach.  I know that real estate companies are planning to develop many areas along the Trinity River. They obviously would want have a retailer or restaurant on the back of a trash-filled river. This would incentivize them to maintain a certain level of cleanliness in their surrounding property area. If everyone along the Trinity River kept their area clean, I am sure there would be a noticeable change.

              My favorite part of the canoe trip was the last bend of the river that turned toward downtown Fort Worth, revealing the illuminated skyline. That made the whole trip worth it. I definitely want to paddle down the Trinity again, maybe in a kayak next time. Now that I know the true extent of the polluted waters, I intend to join the Trinity River clean-up excursions; it would be hypocritical of me to condemn other for not acting if do not make an effort on my part.