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Large illegal trash dump found flowing into Trinity River in Dallas

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Published  April 10, 2026 4:55pm CDT
Dallas
FOX 4

The Brief

    • A large illegal trash dump is flowing freely into the Trinity River in Dallas, causing environmental and safety concerns.
    • The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported the issue to the Dallas City Marshal's Office, but was unable to contact the owner of nearby private property.
    • The City of Dallas has been aware of issues in the area for years, installing cameras at the location due to "prior incidents."

DALLAS - The discovery of a large illegal dump flowing directly into the Trinity River in Dallas has raised environmental questions about the river's water quality and safety for recreational use.

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What we know:

The garbage dump, which includes boards, metals, plastics and more, can be seen spilling into the Trinity River unabated.

Located nearby is a newly-built neighborhood and a public outlook along the riverside.

It was discovered by Dylan Rasbridge, who uploaded video of the trash to YouTube after discovering it on a hiking trip in the area with his father.

What they're saying:

Rasbridge told FOX 4's Lori Brown he uploaded the videos to bring attention to the mostly-hidden area.

"All this trash is just washing directly into the groundwater. It's like they chose to dump it right on the riverbank," Rasbridge told Brown. "No one has a chance to even come and clean it up. Straight into North Texas waterways."

Dylan Rasbridge

"You don't have to be a scientist to know how toxic construction materials are," Rasbridge continued. "There's particle board, sheet rock, adhesives that has formaldehyde, that has gypsum in it, and that's really bad for our resources."

"I hope that whoever did this is held accountable."

Dig deeper:

The amount of garbage in the illegal dump looks to have built up over several years, and it sounds like the city has known about this issue for some time.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) told Brown they first received a complaint about illegal dumping in the area on March 16. 

It attempted to reach out to the owner of the private property near the dump, but was unable to reach them by phone or at their Lower Greenville address.

TCEQ says it referred the issue to the Dallas City Marshal's Office, who told Brown on Thursday they confirmed that there are illegal dumping signs in the area.

The DCMO also told Brown there are two cameras installed nearby that monitor the area. The cameras were placed there due to "prior incidents" in 2025 when a camera was vandalized, and in 2020 and 2024 when cameras were stolen.

The city added: "For safety reasons, staff have been instructed not to proceed all the way down the street due to previous threats."

"The Marshal’s Office is currently reviewing evidence and obtaining witness statements."

The Source: Information in this story comes from the Dallas City Marshal's Office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

DallasCrime and Public Safety