Houston bayou pollution: Human-made problem in the city’s waterways

Inside look at Houston bayous pollution clean-up

Thousands of pounds of trash and pollution are thrown into the Houston bayou waterways. FOX 26's Jade Flury spoke to a man who has a mission to keep our bayous clean.

HOUSTON - Houston bayous are being flooded with more than just rainwater. Each year, thousands of pounds of trash and pollution make their way into the waterways. 

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership works year-round to remove debris, but crews say the problem continues to grow because of littering.

Keeping Houston bayous clean

"We’ve been active on the bayou cleaning up and trying to get the word out and trying to get people to start recycling," said David Rivers, better known as "Bayou Dave." 

Rivers and his coworker spend their days on the water operating a specialized boat equipped with an industrial-strength vacuum. 

"This is the Bayou Vac. How it works is through suction," said Bayou Dave. "We suck the trash from the front of the boat, it goes through the hose, and the unit puts it into our 22-yard dumpster."

In 2024, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership removed more than 2,000 cubic yards of trash from local waterways. That’s the equivalent of about 167 dump truck loads. In 2025, that number climbed to more than 2,200 cubic yards of trash, or 191 dump truck loads full of debris. 

Beyond the waste, crews are also concerned about microplastics. 

"A lot of people are unaware of microplastics and how they threaten the environment because all those plastics break down into micro-particles, and they end up in the wildlife, especially our fish," said Bayou Dave. 

What you can do:

Robby Robinson, the head of the waterway maintenance team for BBP, said much of the trash doesn’t come from people dumping directly into the bayou. Instead, it starts on the streets.  

"People are under the misconception about trash in the bayou. It’s not people littering in the bayou. It’s people littering in the city streets," said Robinson. "So just one cup, one bottle on every other street, collects in the storm drains. When it rains, we call it the first flood, and it’s horrendous what comes out the bayou." 

The organization is now focusing on public awareness, urging Houstonians to recycle and be mindful about where and what they throw away. 

Background :

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership is a non-profit organization responsible for maintaining a 10-mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive through downtown and to Port of Houston Turning Basin. 

Five days a week, the BBP Waterway Maintenance Team goes out on the water to collect and remove trash. The organization’s cleanup works to improve water quality and improve the ecosystem.