DALLAS, Texas - The City of Dallas will use grazing goats to remove invasive privet vegetation at White Rock Lake as part of an eco-friendly land management effort beginning Thursday, February 5, 2026.
According to City of Dallas, Dallas Park and Recreation will introduce 260 goats to graze approximately 11.5 acres in the prairie area adjacent to the Bath House and Cultural Center at White Rock Lake. The project is expected to last about one week.
An electric fence will be repositioned daily to new sections ranging from 1 to 1.5 acres to ensure effective vegetation control. A shepherd will remain on site around the clock to manage and monitor the goats throughout the project.
City officials said the grazing effort is designed to control the spread of privet, an invasive plant species that threatens native vegetation.
Privet, also known as Ligustrum, is considered highly invasive due to its ability to form dense, fast-growing evergreen thickets that outcompete native plants. Originally introduced from Asia and Europe for use as hedging, the plant spreads aggressively through bird-dispersed seeds, grows in both shaded and sunny environments, and can regenerate from broken root systems.
The city said the project offers a natural alternative to mechanical or chemical vegetation removal while helping restore native plant habitats at the lake.
