BELTON, Texas — As the severe drought continues in Central Texas, low water levels have revealed countless items in Lake Belton, which are now causing some concerns for residents.
So far, over 300 tires have been uncovered in the lake and now the community is hoping to get rid of them.
"You can see things that have always been submerged and now they're presenting themselves," Lake Belton resident Bill King shared.
It's currently unclear exactly how the tires appeared in the State-owned lake. Some speculate that engineers put the tires there to help fish breed, while others say the lake used to be a dumping ground.
"We reported it to the Corps of Engineers and they said that they were going to get some volunteers to work on it but because they were hazardous material they didn't want us coming in and removing them without them," King explained.
Tires are often made of synthetic rubber, which contains many toxic chemicals. This is why King and other residents believe the water is unsafe to drink or swim in.
In collaboration with the Corps of Engineers, a clean-up event will be hosted by the Lake Belton Trash Getters. Organization co-chair Teri Swanson says there is likely not a specific blame but the community can do their part in keeping the lake clean.
"It's not the Core of Engineers' fault and it's not the Wildlife Department's fault.," Swanson said. "We just decided it's nobody's problem but ours so we've been cleaning up for the last four years and we really believe that will help in the future."
The clean-up event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. Community members are asked to meet at Cedar Ridge Park near Lake Belton.
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