Tarrant water officials to bring more trees to Trinity River trails with help from $20K grant
North Texans can expect to enjoy more tree canopy along the Trinity Trails thanks to thousands in funds from state officials.
Tarrant Regional Water District board members approved a $20,000 matching grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service in their Sept. 16 meeting. The grant is meant to support the goals in the water district’s recently updated recreation master plan, which defines the agency’s role through its water and land supply.
Which parks and lakes does the water district manage?
- Bridgeport Lake
- Cedar Creek Lake
- Eagle Mountain Lake
- Richland-Chambers Lake
- Marine Creek Lake
- Eagle Mountain Park
- Twin Points Park
- Airfield Falls
In partnership with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the district also manages the George W. Shannon Wetlands.
In addition to lakes and parks, the water district owns over 100 miles of trails along the Trinity River.
Additional landscaping, tree shade and increased safety along the Trinity Trails were among frequent requests made by residents in community meetings hosted by the agency to workshop the master plan.
In July, the water district announced it would pour $200,000 into upgraded safety measures and signage installation along the trail system, including striping and speed limit signs.
The water district will plant more than 50 trees at the Riverside Trailhead at East 4th Street and the River Park Trailhead at Bryant Irvin Road on Nov. 7 in honor of Arbor Day, as required by the grant agreement, water district floodway and construction director Lexi McCalip said in a statement.
Species that will be planted include:
- Red oak
- Lacebark elm
- Chinquapin oak
- Chinese pistache
- Live oak
- Bald cypress
- Bur oak
- Lacey oak
- Cedar elm
The species were chosen for their native and adaptive characteristics, said Darrell Beason, the district’s chief operating officer.
“This is a direct response to the feedback from the (public),” said board president Leah King. “What a nice way to do that with a grant like this from Texas A&M Forest Service.”
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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