This past week we had the opportunity to canoe down a portion of the Trinity in the evening. The Rec was kind enough to help organize the trip, and they were incredibly helpful! It took us a bit to get down to the river, but it was an impressively accessible entry point for an somewhat urban area. I have some experience canoeing, but it was my first time being the primary "steerer"... let's just say I could use some work. Nevertheless, the trip was exciting because I was able to observe how a river exists in an urban environment, and we ended with a stunning view of the Fort Worth skyline from the water.
The first portion of the river was surrounded by developments on both sides. The backyards of some of the homes practically landed in the river. Some portions of the bank had concrete sloping up, or in chunks where it had broken down. However, we passed this fairly developed area soon and were able to see a few undeveloped fields, with tall grass and large trees. There were still power lines criss-crossing them, but it was a gorgeous view, and one that took me by surprise considering how close we were to downtown the whole time.
One aspect I enjoyed was watching how along the length of the river, the city has created a greenway where walkers, joggers, runners, bikers, etc. can enjoy the scenery. From what I could tell, sitting low in the water, there were many entry points, and people truly seemed to enjoy and use it. I think it says something about the city that they have kept the paths well maintained and create accessibility to the natural resources it has to offer.
Even though some sections of the river were clogged up with litter, it was actually not quite as dirty as I was expecting. A lot of people on campus joke that you could die if you fell in the water just because of how polluted it is. Obviously this is a stretch, but my expectation was much worse than the reality. On our drive there I also noticed a billboard advertising a river clean up. This is yet another example of an urban area trying to protect nature.
Overall I was blown away at how Fort Worth has preserved this river. Most major cities would have dammed a river that size up and created a lake rather than allowing the river to flow through to downtown. I love the access that this gives an urban community to something natural. I am so glad that we went on this as a class, because I am not sure that I would have done a moonlight paddle on my own. After this trip, though, I would highly recommend a Trinity river trip to anyone who was wondering about it!
The first portion of the river was surrounded by developments on both sides. The backyards of some of the homes practically landed in the river. Some portions of the bank had concrete sloping up, or in chunks where it had broken down. However, we passed this fairly developed area soon and were able to see a few undeveloped fields, with tall grass and large trees. There were still power lines criss-crossing them, but it was a gorgeous view, and one that took me by surprise considering how close we were to downtown the whole time.
One aspect I enjoyed was watching how along the length of the river, the city has created a greenway where walkers, joggers, runners, bikers, etc. can enjoy the scenery. From what I could tell, sitting low in the water, there were many entry points, and people truly seemed to enjoy and use it. I think it says something about the city that they have kept the paths well maintained and create accessibility to the natural resources it has to offer.
Even though some sections of the river were clogged up with litter, it was actually not quite as dirty as I was expecting. A lot of people on campus joke that you could die if you fell in the water just because of how polluted it is. Obviously this is a stretch, but my expectation was much worse than the reality. On our drive there I also noticed a billboard advertising a river clean up. This is yet another example of an urban area trying to protect nature.
Overall I was blown away at how Fort Worth has preserved this river. Most major cities would have dammed a river that size up and created a lake rather than allowing the river to flow through to downtown. I love the access that this gives an urban community to something natural. I am so glad that we went on this as a class, because I am not sure that I would have done a moonlight paddle on my own. After this trip, though, I would highly recommend a Trinity river trip to anyone who was wondering about it!
Thanks for posting about the canoe trip. I enjoyed getting out of the classroom, though the canoeing tired out a few people. The river is a good example of urban and natural areas colliding, for both good and bad results.
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