Fourth annual community cleanup event to remove abandoned shopping carts and litter from Shoal Creek, presented by H-E-B in partnership with Austin Resource Recovery and Austin Watershed Protection.
Shoal Creek Conservancy is bringing back the Shoal Creek Shopping Cart Corral on Saturday, August 29, from 8 AM to 10 AM. It's the fourth year for this one, presented by H-E-B in partnership with Austin Resource Recovery and Austin Watershed Protection. The whole thing started from a 'Trash in Creeks' field study by the Watershed Protection Department, which found more than 500 shopping carts in Austin's creeks back in early 2022. Since then, the Corral has become an annual effort to get those carts out of the water and off the banks.
To give you an idea of what this looks like in practice, the 2025 edition saw more than 80 volunteers working alongside WPD and ARR staff across six locations. Together they hauled out nine shopping carts, 170 bags of litter, and about 5,000 pounds of rubbish. And it wasn't just carts—they pulled out five mattresses, seven wooden pallets, rugs, a stroller, and a full-size basketball goal. It's the kind of cleanup that goes way beyond picking up a few stray bottles.
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The day is part of the Conservancy's broader mission to restore Shoal Creek to a fishable, swimmable creek, and August is their Membership Drive month, so it's a good time to get involved if you've been meaning to support them. All ages are welcome with supervision, and they provide the tools and supplies you'll need. You'll want to bring your own water and snacks, and wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. The cleanup takes place along Shoal Creek in Austin, TX 78711, with the specific locations to be determined.
