You Can See the Trails Again: Bachman Greenbelt Is Transforming After Invasive Privet Removal

The plan sounds simple enough: reclaim 40 acres of privet-choked Bachman Greenbelt and replace it with wildflowers. But anyone who has seen this particular kind of “weed” — privet, a highly invasive woody shrub — take over a North Texas green space knows that’s not a weekend project.

That’s what the Friends of Bachman Lake (FoBL) have been tackling across the west Dallas greenbelt land that had become so overrun with the non-native invasive plant that it was hard to see trails and enjoy the nature preserve. 

Now it’s been almost a year since “Operation Goat” was unleashed on the privet. But the goats needed help.

“Operation Goat” Underway at Bachman Greenbelt

“The goats we had out last year were just not able to make enough of a difference,” said Susanna Brown, FoBL board member. So the friends group turned to a more industrial solution in the form of a forest mulcher.

“We had to resort to mechanical removal because those privet bushes were basically trees,” Brown said.

The result of the removal is nothing less than dramatic.

“We were working under a very tight deadline of completing the work before the start of the bird nesting season on March 15,” she said. “The project was completed March 3, thanks to the amazing work done by ArborMasters.”

While eliminating the privet was key to reclaiming the Bachman Greenbelt, the work to keep the privet from returning will take about three years. Until then, the debris left on the ground from the chopped-up privet will serve as erosion control for the area.

“It is now easier to imagine those fields of wildflowers,” Brown said.

Friends Group Has Not Lost Its Vision for Bachman Lake

While curating that vision for the Greenbelt has been time-consuming, that does not mean that the efforts of beautifying the Bachman Lake Park has gone by the wayside. If anything, the push this spring is to breathe life back into the Adopt-a-Shoreline program.

“We’re glad to see renewed interest in the Bachman Lake Park Adopt-a-Shoreline program,” she said.

The program allows for local businesses, churches, scout troops, and similar organizations to adopt a small section of the lake and commit to getting a group of volunteers to pick up trash along the shoreline once a month.

Keeping the shoreline clean is important not only for visitors who use the park but for all of Dallas, Brown said.

The Bachman Branch (also Bachman Creek) is a medium-sized tributary of the Trinity River with headwaters in northwest Dallas. Litter and debris wash downstream into the Trinity. 

“Without dedicated groups, the task of keeping litter out of Bachman Lake and beyond would be overwhelming,” she said.

Groups who are interested in participating in the Adopt-a-Shoreline project at Bachman Lake Park may email the FoBL at [email protected] to get started.