Every year, waves of college students from across the country hit South Padre Island for Spring Break and as they retreat, tides of trash flood the beaches, waiting to be picked up.
“Last year, we collected over 300 cubic yards of litter off of the beach,” said Brandon Hill, Shoreline Management director for the city. “We expect to have crowds that are, at least, comparable to last year to this year. A lot of the projections are saying even more. That is really why our shoreline staff have upped our numbers for the month of March.”
Shoreline Management aims to preserve and restore SPI beaches to maintain the quality of life and sustain the local tourism-based economy, according to its website.
In 2017, Shoreline Management department staff worked 623 hours overtime during Spring Break. This year, Hill said the crew increased from six to 18.
In efforts to maintain the beaches clean for everyone, Shoreline Management will have two large beach cleanings each day during the break, one in the morning and evening.
Hill said all Shoreline Management staff will be out during the day working.
The department will be on the beach all day using its beach cleaner, cleaning via vehicles and on foot.
He encourages visitors to take ownership of their time on the Island.
“We do make available hundreds of beach barrels that are out there and are emptied multiple times a day,” Hill said. “First of all, we would encourage folks to identify the closest trash receptacle and make use of it.”
If visitors see trash that is not theirs and they have a bag, Hill encourages them to pick it up.
“I think everyone will enjoy their time at the beach if we all try to leave it a little bit cleaner than we found it,” he said.
For more information, call the Shoreline Management office at (956) 761-8166.
