The City of Garland accidentally cleared parts of Spring Creek Forest Preserve, damaging historic trees and wildlife.
GARLAND, Texas — Bill Holston knows the Spring Creek Forest Preserve in Garland like the back of his hand. He hikes there every week.
“There are many of us in the community who want a sense of wildness, want some sense of wilderness,” said Holston. “A lot of those people are like me, who have very stressful jobs, and one of the ways we cope with the stress is spending time in nature.”
Holston also provides tours. He walked WFAA along the preserve’s trail until it was no more.
“We’re standing on where our trail was,” said Holston.
On June 16, the City of Garland’s Water Utilities Department accidentally cleared portions of the preserve. Holston said the damage stretches at least a mile and a half through the forest.
“It’s more like grief because this is a special place,” said Holston. “This looks like it did 200 years ago. That’s rare.”
The city told WFAA that they were accessing an old sewer line that had not been regularly inspected.
“I’ll accept that that’s true. There were way less invasive ways to do that,” said Holston.
According to the city’s communication, city leaders were made aware of the mistake on June 23. On July 2, the city notified the public of its mistake through a post on its website. In a statement, the city said the sewer line serves thousands in Dallas County and is critical to protecting both public health and the environment.
However, Holston said the damage is extensive. There are 100-year-old trees, wildlife destroyed, and concerns for possible erosion.
“It’s not possible to underdo the damage, but they can mitigate it,” said Holston.
City staff plan to speak during the City Council Work Session on July 21 to review what happened and plans for restoration, but for Holston, this mistake took away so much more.
“It’s an essential part of mental health for me, and that’s true for a lot of people and communities,” said Holston.
City of Garland’s full statement:
The City of Garland continues to gather information regarding the land clearing at Spring Creek Forest Preserve, piecing together the full picture of what happened and how. As part of our effort to maintain aging infrastructure, the City initiated work to access a major sewer trunk line running along Spring Creek. This infrastructure is more than five decades old and had not been subject to regular inspection due to limited access through the Preserve. The line serves thousands of residents and businesses in Dallas County and is critical to protecting both public health and the environment.
On Monday, July 21, staff will make a presentation during the City Council Work Session, detailing a timeline of events, a review of current procedures and potential corrective actions, as well as plan for restoration. In partnership with Dallas County, the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest, landscape professionals and more, the City will prepare a comprehensive restoration and maintenance plan to mitigate potential ecosystem disruptions and the loss of trees or other growth, as well as to replace the nature trail which was widened.
The City of Garland remains committed to:
- Maintaining critical infrastructure in a responsible, sustainable way.
- Restoring the impacted area of the Preserve to the greatest extent possible.
- Improving internal coordination and review processes to prevent similar incidents.
- Partnering with Dallas County, the Preservation Society, and other stakeholders to protect and preserve this vital natural space.
- Keeping the public informed with regular updates as the restoration plan progresses.
We value Spring Creek Forest Preserve not only as a local treasure but as a regional ecological asset.
WFAA reached out to the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest. They were unable to comment at this time but did confirm that they have been in contact with the City of Garland.