TCA - Caring for Turtle Creek

About:  For nearly 40 years, the Turtle Creek Association (TCA) has been the quiet but vital force behind one of Dallas’s most beloved natural spaces. Entirely supported by private donations, TCA works every day to preserve, protect, and enhance the Turtle Creek Corridor—ensuring this treasured greenspace remains clean, beautiful, and welcoming for all.

Our efforts include removing thousands of pounds of trash and debris from the creek and its banks, maintaining over 90 acres of urban forest with more than 2,600 trees, and caring for 25 landscaped medians, seasonal flowerbeds, and irrigation systems. We do all of this without one dollar of taxpayer funding.

But we can’t do it alone—and right now, we urgently need your support in two key areas:  Operating Funds and funding for the Bridges of Turtle Creek project. 

1. Operating Funds.   Operating funds are used to continuously remove trash and debris that is in the water and along the banks.  Turtle Creek is a natural feed creek that eventually flows into the Trinity River.  It is also part of Dallas' stormwater system.   Every time it rains, runoff water carries trash from Central Expressway and the surrounding areas, and it is then dumped into Turtle Creek.  If the trash is not contained and collected, it will then flow into the Trinity. TCA uses donations to manually clean the trash out of the water, the trees, and the surrounding banks.   We are looking for a more permanent solution for the trash containment, but donations are needed now for the manual cleaning that protects this precious greenspace and the wildlife that inhabit it.     

2. The Bridges of Turtle Creek.  The restoration of the Bridges of Turtle Creek is a collaborative effort led by the Turtle Creek Association, the Turtle Creek Conservancy, and the City of Dallas to preserve the historic character and structural integrity of these early 20th-century landmarks. Built between 1908 and the 1930s, the eight bridges serve not only as vital thoroughfares but also as iconic elements of the Turtle Creek landscape, blending architecture with natural beauty.

Over the decades, time and weather have taken a toll on the bridges' original stonework and surfaces. Through this restoration project, the bridges are receiving much-needed cleaning, repairs, and conservation—all made possible through privately donated funds, with no taxpayer dollars used. This public-private partnership exemplifies how civic pride and community investment can come together to protect Dallas's architectural heritage.

Our Need.  Your donation—whether directed to ongoing operations funding or the bridge restoration—directly impacts the health, safety, and beauty of Turtle Creek and the City of Dallas as a whole. You understand and value the environment and the importance of protecting it.  With your help, we can ensure this natural and historic Dallas treasure continues to flourish for generations to come.