By Tom Douglas

After a break of several years, the Medina River Cleanup is back. Low water during the spring and summer delayed the 2026 cleanup, but rains in mid-July brought the flow up enough for organizers, headed up by Bob Brischetto, to quickly organize this year’s event for August 22. The check-in at Bandera City Park went smoothly, where paper sign-in and waiver forms were at the ready, and T-shirts, food, and coffee awaited the paddlers. 

The Check-in Table in Bandera City Park by Tom Douglas

Paddlers cleaned up 32 miles of the river: eight different sections from the Patterson Ave. Bridge in Medina down to English Crossing, several miles downstream from Bandera. Several of us joined the group of 9 paddlers on Section 6, between the bridges at Bandina Ranch Road and Peaceful Valley Road. 

Medina River Section 6 by Tom Douglas

The shelf on the downstream side of the Bandina Ranch Road Bridge made for an easy put-in. 

The Put-In at Bandina Ranch Road by Tom Douglas

Following a brief orientation and safety talk by our local guide, Lee Haile, we headed downstream. 

Ready to Go by Tracy Becker

Tracy Becker with Yellow Trash Bags at the Ready by Tom Douglas

Only a little ways downstream, our team spotted a length of insulated wire, which Dutch Becker identified as telephone cable.

Dutch Becker Goes After the Insulated Cable by Tracy Becker

The cable was stowed in the open canoe paddled by Tad Mills. As we will see, this was just the first of many items to go into his boat. 

First Item Goes into Tad Mills’ Open Canoe by Tom Douglas 

Tall trees along the banks of Section 6 make for a river experience that is both beautiful and shaded, which was greatly appreciated on this hot day. 

Beautiful River by Tom Douglas 

The river bottom, which is made up of rounded cobbles, was easy to see through the river’s clear water. The pool and riffle nature of the river made for variety, but it also meant that the water was too shallow in places to float our boats. 

Negotiating a Shallow Spot by Tracy Becker

We had heard that there were bald eagles in this area, and that we might possibly see a nest. Sure enough, a little more than a mile downstream from the put-in, we spotted a nest high in an overhanging tree on the right bank. It is located at 29.759703° N 99.177717° W, near the overhead power line. 

The Eagle’s Nest by Tom Douglas

At about mile 1.8 we spotted a mysterious iron object in the water. It was easily moveable up at the surface but firmly anchored in the river bottom. We attached a rope that we had recovered from a tree earlier in the day, and after about a half hour’s tugging, both from down in the river and up on the bank, a large iron swing, complete with mattress, swing stand, and attaching chains, emerged. Somehow, this was disassembled and loaded into Tad’s canoe. By this time, trash was really accumulating. In the photo, you can see the swing in Tad’s canoe and a couple of plastic trash cans in Greg Selden’s blue inflatable kayak. 

Iron Swing and Plastic Trash Cans by Tom Douglas

Our take-out was on the river’s right bank, on the upstream side of the Peaceful Valley Road Bridge. We loaded up our boats and several of us transferred the trash to Lee Haile’s trailer, which he drove to the post-cleanup activities back at Bandera City Park. 

At the park, we were greeted by a BBQ dinner catered by B-Daddys BBQ on Main, which is just a couple of blocks away from the park in downtown Bandera. 

Paddlers and Organizers Enjoy the Catered BBQ Dinner  by Kathy Smith Meadows

And there was also live music, performed by Lee and Karen Haile.

Music Performed by Lee and Karen Haile by Kathy Smith Meadows 

Let’s hope that the water level will cooperate for the 2027 Medina River Cleanup!