Clear Creek Environmental Foundation, League City
Play Video of CCEF receiving TEEA Award
Video Transcript
Keepers of the Creek
Towering oaks and native grasses. Spotted sandpipers, wood ducks and osprey. More than 50 species of fish and 200 species of birds. These are the native inhabitants of Clear Creek, a tributary that meanders for 47 miles through Fort Bend, Brazoria, Harris, and Galveston counties before emptying into Clear Lake and, ultimately, Galveston Bay.
Clear Creek serves more than one purpose. The river’s floodplain acts as a natural sponge to soak up and slowly release floodwaters. But the floodplain is also a filter—trapping sediments and pollutants that make their way downstream.
In an area of mixed-use development, the community surrounding Clear Creek has its share of challenges. Chief among them is what to do with all the debris that travels downstream. For the past five years, the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation (CCEF) has been focused on just that challenge—with impressive results.
Each year, hundreds of volunteers gather to remove thousands of pounds of trash from the waterway. More than 3,000 volunteers have collected 60 tons of trash and 3,000 tires from Clear Creek, as well as underwater debris such as sunken boats and large objects unseen by boaters. With a dual focus on cleanup and restoration, CCEF has begun a vital habitat restoration project, planting cord grass along five miles of shoreline to improve fishery habitat and control erosion.
Formed by two League City residents, the CCEF now represents an army of volunteers—self-appointed “keepers of the creek” who work tirelessly to educate surrounding communities on the need to preserve the creek’s natural purpose. In that sense, they are more than keepers of the creek. They are keepers of an entire way of life.
