Forward Lampasas showcased its progress in cleaning up Sulphur Creek to hundreds of Lampasas residents at last Friday’s community fish fry. So far, Lampasans seem to be rallying around the project.
Forward Lampasas, a local non-profit organization, has plans to establish a trail along Sulphur Creek between the Western Street bridge and the downtown Fourth Street bridge.
Zach and Morgan Griffin – both of whom were born and raised here – said they were happy to see the cleanup efforts along the creek.
Zach Griffin is a road hand for Lampasas County Precinct 1 and has assisted in the project. He said the area near the Fourth Street bridge was riddled with trash and had become known as the “homeless hangout.” While cleaning the area, he uncovered old lumber, tin, cardboard and other materials reportedly used by the homeless for shelter.
“It was bad, I didn’t want to get out,” Griffin said. “I was in equipment all day, and I didn’t want to walk around it. It was a little difficult.
“When we did the math, it was 50 loads of trash, and we didn’t even haul off all of it,” he said. “We got 50 loads, about 1,200 tons.”
Morgan Griffin said the creek improvements have made a huge difference in its appearance.
“It’s neat to be able to see it besides all the bamboo,” she said of Sulphur Creek. “That is what I remember growing up -- all the wild bamboo growing down here. To be able to see the bank and stuff, it is really pretty. I can’t wait to see what it turns out to be when they are finished.”
Chris and Angela Bartlett have only been living in Lampasas for three years. Although the couple knew the creek ran through town, Angela said they were unaware of its natural beauty.
“For a while we lived in town on the other side of Key [Avenue] and drove through here a lot,” she said. “We never realized what was back here because it was so overgrown and cluttered. I loved that they opened it up. I think it looks beautiful.”
Forward Lampasas volunteers have discussed a three-year timeline to create a developed trail along Sulphur Creek from Western Street to Fourth Street, providing walking access to the downtown area. The Bartletts said they reaped the benefits of a similar type of trail while living in Round Rock. Angela believes a trail located close to the historic Lampasas downtown square could be a major boost.
“I think it is going to be really good to have a place to come downtown and be able to walk and enjoy just being here,” she said. “We will take our son to the sculpture garden every once in awhile and walk around, but it is not really shaded, not a lot of landscaping and not a lot of trees. I think this will be a very pretty alternative.”
Sam and Jaymie Vernon are another local couple who attended the fish fry to see the work undertaken by Forward Lampasas. Living on Briggs Street, Jaymie Vernon said they often spend time with their children at the creek and learned about the cleanup project while roaming the area earlier this year.
While Jaymie is from Lampasas, Sam hails from Austin where walking trails through nature are common. Sam said he and his wife always had an idea of the potential the undeveloped portion of Sulphur Creek contained.
“We played a lot and fished a little further upstream, and it used to be really trashed out,” he said. “We actually picked up a bunch of trash over there and saw what it could be. It is nice to see somebody actually put some real heavy equipment into it to see what it could be. I think there is a lot of value in Lampasas that is not taken advantage of per se.”
Forward Lampasas organizer Eddie Bowden initiated the group in 2024. He has said previously he hopes a future trail along the creek would be a more natural walkway rather than a concrete pathway. Sam Vernon agreed with Bowden’s sentiments.
“This whole area is beautiful,” Vernon said. “Coming from Austin, you see green space all the time, and they take advantage of the green space. They don’t necessarily overdevelop it. They keep it in a good middle ground. It is good to see Forward Lampasas people trying to do better with what we have.”
Cody Faught, another Lampasas native, said he has been waiting decades to see progress along Sulphur Creek. He said the life-long Lampasans he knows are 100% behind the project.
“I like it, and everybody I have talked to says it’s great,” Faught said. “All my friends and family, they have been here their whole lives too, and they are for it. My grandkids can enjoy it like I did without all the woods and poison ivy.”
As Forward Lampasas continues with its creek project, it probably will entail collaboration with the city to see its full vision for Sulphur Creek realized. Faught said creek restoration should be at the top of the list of priorities. After all, without Sulphur Creek, Lampasas would not be what it is today.
“This is part of the city,” Faught said. “This creek is Lampasas. Without the sulphur springs and all that, you wouldn’t have Lampasas.”
