City staff outlines scale of Lake Ray Hubbard litter problem, $949,000 contractor quote and options for longer-term approach

Dolly Williams, managing director of Parks and Recreation, told the committee Lake Ray Hubbard functions as a retention basin for runoff from the metroplex and said most debris arrives by storm outfalls and floats into coves where access is difficult. Garland has an interlocal agreement with Dallas (Dallas owns the reservoir) and Garland is responsible for litter removal along designated public shoreline. Staff described access constraints, privately subleased shoreline areas not covered by city cleanup, and the need for specialized equipment or boats to remove debris from dense wood and brush.

Staff outlined current responses (quarterly checks with Dallas Water Utilities, contractor cleanups and volunteer events) and described equipment options with trade-offs: skimmers and trash-collection systems range from roughly $250,000 to $1.2 million and have limits on handling large timber. Staff said Ceres Environmental Services quoted $949,000 for one-time waterway debris removal (exclusive of tipping fees). A council member urged a broader, cross-departmental policy and study rather than only buying equipment, and the committee directed staff to return with more options, coordination plans with Dallas and neighboring cities, and potential low-cost prototypes such as booms and volunteer-supported programs.