Trinity River Authority, TX

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the Village Creek – Lake Arlington Watershed Protection Plan. The plan was created by the Village Creek – Lake Arlington Watershed Partnership, the City of Arlington and the Trinity River Authority to restore water quality in Village Creek, and in turn protect Lake Arlington’s water quality. 

Joe Gildersleeve, water resource services manager with the City of Arlington, said the plan calls on communities and private property owners throughout the watershed to help reduce potential sources of bacteria and other forms of pollution to ensure that the water quality in Lake Arlington remains safe for drinking water and recreational uses.

“These pollutants come from a wide variety of sources, including pet waste, illegal dumping, lawn residue, agricultural runoff, and waste and sanitary sewer overflows,” Gildersleeve said. He continued, “This type of pollution, known as non-point source pollution, is difficult to control, especially since the watershed includes several communities outside of Arlington. I am confident property owners in the watershed will work with us in the future to protect the water quality in Lake Arlington.”

The 143 square-mile Village Creek – Lake Arlington watershed includes portions of Arlington, Fort Worth, Burleson and several communities in southeast Tarrant and northeast Johnson counties. Lake Arlington is a drinking water source for more than half a million people, including residents in Arlington, Bedford, Grapevine, Euless, Colleyville and North Richland Hills.

Aaron Hoff, watershed coordinator with TRA, said the plan wouldn’t have been a success without input from local citizens, business representatives, city/county personnel, local resource agency staff and many other stakeholders.

With the plan approved, local planning partners now have wider access to state and federal assistance programs that will encourage sustainable development as the watershed continues to urbanize.

Hoff noted that cornerstones of the effort include protection and restoration of the riparian zones around creeks to act as natural filtration systems, as well as encouraging the use of permeable materials in the construction of driveways, parking lots and sidewalks.

“Replacing asphalt and concrete with permeable construction materials reduces stormwater runoff, allowing Mother Nature to do most of the cleanup for us by filtering pollutants into the soil before they can reach our waterways,” Hoff said.

(Text from city of Arlington Aug. 2, 2019 press release)

View VCLA WPP
View Official News Release (PDF)
View Official News Release on City of Arlington's Website 

Funding for the planning phase of this effort was provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through a Clean Water Act § 319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with matching funding from the City of Arlington and in-kind contributions from TRA.  

A preliminary survey of sites around Lake Arlington where illegal dumping activity might occur was conducted in March of 2018. The results of the survey were mapped spatially with photo documentation. A public record of these findings is accessible here: View Story Map.

Stay tuned for more information on upcoming meetings and events in the watershed. You can also check the Meetings page for additional information from past meetings related to the project.

Want to get involved in the watershed? Please be sure to take the Stakeholder Survey to let us know how you'd like to help out, or if you'd like to recommend someone else who may want to get involved.

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Check Out Lake Arlington and TRA on Facebook
For more info on what's up at the lake, check out Lake Arlington's Facebook page. Arlington Parks and Recreation gives regular updates about activities, lake conditions, and where to rent equipment!

You can also check out TRA's Facebook page to learn about water conservation, quality, treatment, and safety, along with handy tips and how you can get involved!

Contact Us
For more information, please contact Heather Firn: by phone – (817) 467-4343 or by email - firnha@trinityra.org.

This cooperative project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.