SEABROOK, TEXAS — A coordinated effort to remove derelict vessels from Clear Lake near Seabrook, Texas, has been launched by the grassroots group Dead Boats Society in partnership with local and state agencies. The initiative aims to address multiple abandoned boats and vessels currently polluting the waterway.

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is supporting the removal operations, having already taken out 1,700 vessels statewide. Trained divers inspect each derelict vessel before rigging it for extraction. Precinct 2 County Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s Keep2Clean initiative is covering the costs of removal in Clear Lake, where no dedicated funding currently exists for such efforts.

"The longer the boat sits in the water, the more the integrity of the vessel is compromised, so you have oil leaking out, diesel, gasoline, leaking, etc." said Captain D. Jasper with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office marine team.

Russell Lavigne, a member of the Dead Boats Society, emphasized the group’s mission to preserve the lake’s condition. "The last thing we want is for the lake to be trashed up, turned into a junkyard. Because that’s basically what it was heading for." Lavigne said.

Adrian Garcia described the physical challenges of the removal process, recalling one early operation. "One of the first vessels that we worked to take out actually broke in half. It was filled with about three to four feet of mud," he said. The GLO plans to seek dedicated legislative funding for derelict vessel removal and intends to resume its vessel turn-in events after hurricane season.