I've been on the road for the last 5 years. This year, I came home and was thrilled to participate in the Lake Travis Underwater and Shoreline Cleanup. Returning back to where I started was wonderful, even though I was a little nervous. I've been traveling so much becoming the first woman to dive 50 states, that I haven't been able to dive my own local dive sites.

Lake Travis is home to more than bass and catfish. It's a reservoir that supplies water to the city of Austin, provides recreational activities for the public, and is a highly valued residential area. I completed many of my certifications and hundreds of dives in the lake. I couldn't imagine a better homecoming than being one of 350 dive volunteers to pick up trash. I joined my local dive shop, Dive World Austin, on one of the donated party barges. To my delight, a few of my buddies were aboard.

3.38 tons of trash were collected this September. We found unopened beer cans, countless sunglasses, jello shot glasses, empty drink containers, and all sorts of plastic pieces. We collect trash that we find in our lake on regular dives also. Much of this trash is left by visitors who party on the lake, whether on individual boats or on group charters.

Having a dedicated dive for finding trash helps us make a big impact. The trash, fertilizers, and runoff that empties into our local drinking water heads down Lake Travis and down the Colorado River. The Colorado River empties into Matagorda Bay, on the coast of Texas. Taking trash out of my local water systems makes me happy.

View some of my footage in this news report

Join next year's cleanup, September 10, 2016

Go for a dive! Lake Travis SCUBA makes it fun.