Cities Along the Hill Country Rivers are Fighting Litter
By Tom Douglas
Slowly but surely, more cities located along Hill Country rivers are passing ordinances to ban the use of disposable drink containers along the river corridors within their jurisdictions. New Braunfels got the ball rolling back in 2012 with its ban on the use of disposable containers or glass containers on the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers. The city prevailed in legal challenges to the ordinance, with the case eventually reaching the Texas Supreme Court. Then, in 2018, following a protracted discussion, the City of Martindale passed its own “can ban”. Now that San Marcos has followed suit in February 2024, it was time to celebrate these victories for Hill Country rivers. The San Marcos River Retreat hosted the celebration party on Saturday April 13. There was food, live music, and representation from the three “can ban” communities. The Houston Canoe Club was also well represented by members John Ainsworth, Lynne Andrus, Susan Eda, and Constantin Platon.
The coverage of existing ordinances stops at the city limits, but the problem does not. It is encouraging that San Marcos is considering extending its ordinance to include the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, where the litter problem is particularly acute. Let’s all keep an eye out for anything we can do to encourage this positive trend.
Can Ban Advocate Tom Goynes and Musicians at the Celebration, by Constantin Platon