Living with the Trinity is a multimedia public broadcasting project created by KERA Dallas/Fort Worth that offers an environmental and cultural history of the most highly populated watershed in the state of Texas.  On television, on radio, and on the Web, we plan to tell the story of how people have sought to use and control the most unpredictable river system in Texas for more than 150 years - and how the river has responded in its turn.

The story of the Trinity River is both fascinating and timely.  As water resource management becomes increasingly important, it is clear that what happens on the Trinity River and the four main branches of its headwaters affects the quality of life of millions of people, including the residents of North Texas, Houston and the heartland in between.  In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Trinity River is currently at the center of ambitious development plans that civic leaders have called the most important public project in the region’s history. 

The existence of a metropolitan area the size of Dallas/Fort Worth near the headwaters of a major American river places a special responsibility on its residents to think of the river system as a whole.  And yet many people know very little about even the geography of this important natural resource, much less its history and ecology.  For many, the river is largely invisible, and its role in shaping the history of the communities along its banks remains largely unknown.

The intent of Living with the Trinity is to make the Trinity River visible again, to restore the river to its rightful place in the consciousness of those who depend upon it.  In doing so, we seek to connect a knowledge of our historical relationship to the Trinity to the way we live our lives today.  It is our hope that this knowledge will enable all of us to make better choices regarding our future relationship to the river and to the environment through which it flows.

Living with the Trinity is made possible by a lead grant from The Meadows Foundation and additional support from the Dixon Water Foundation.

ABOUT KERA

KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization serving the fourth-largest population area in the United States through KERA-TV, KERA WORLD, KERA 90.1 and the Triple-A music station KXT 91.7 FM. For over 50 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a vibrant destination for community engagement and lifelong learning. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org.