INSIDER
San Antonio River Authority to thin out trees along Mission Reach riverbanks
Read full article: San Antonio River Authority to thin out trees along Mission Reach riverbanksChainsaws, skid steers, and wood chippers will join the sound of birds and running water along the Mission Reach portion of the San Antonio River for the next four months.
Scientists find new species living in Mission Reach portion of San Antonio River
Read full article: Scientists find new species living in Mission Reach portion of San Antonio RiverThe discovery was made during a recent Mission Reach Intensive Nekton Survey (MRINS) conducted by SARA scientists along with scientists from Texas A&M University and Texas State University.
Native freshwater mussels are being reintroduced to San Antonio River
Read full article: Native freshwater mussels are being reintroduced to San Antonio RiverA team at the San Antonio River Authority is working on a project to reintroduce native freshwater mussles to the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Walk.
Looking for a fun weekend activity? Check out this cool kayaking event
Read full article: Looking for a fun weekend activity? Check out this cool kayaking eventWhat are you up to this coming weekend? We have an idea for you. The San Antonio River Foundation and its partner, the San Antonio River Authority, will host the official kayaking event of Fiesta San Antonio: the Mission Reach Flotilla Fiesta.
More than 21,000 pounds of trash found along Mission Reach of River Walk
Read full article: More than 21,000 pounds of trash found along Mission Reach of River WalkCrews with the San Antonio River Authority have been picking up large amounts of trash along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River Walk.
Fish found dead along San Antonio River, Texas coast after freezing weather event
Read full article: Fish found dead along San Antonio River, Texas coast after freezing weather eventThe Environmental Sciences Department is continuing to monitor the sightings, and officials said the dead fish are not caused by poor water quality. Anyone who spots dead fish along the river is asked to contact the River Authority’s Environmental Investigations team online or by calling 866-345-7272. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said fish on the Texas coast first started dying off on Feb. 14. Among the fish species impacted were spotted seatrout, red drum, sheepshead, grey snapper, snook, black drum and tarpon. Other wildlife species impacted by the storm include axis deer, blackbuck, nilgai antelope and multiple bird species, according to TPWD.
San Antonio River Authority conducts prescribed burn in Mission Reach area
Read full article: San Antonio River Authority conducts prescribed burn in Mission Reach areaSAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio River Authority conducted a prescribed burn Tuesday in the Mission Reach area. The burn is part of ongoing maintenance and helps with vegetation management efforts, officials said. Park trails in the Mission Reach area were closed to the public while the burn took place. SARA officials contracted with Raven Environmental Services and coordinated with the San Antonio Fire Department, Bexar County and the National Park Service for the prescribed burn.
Swamp rats live along the San Antonio River Walk
Read full article: Swamp rats live along the San Antonio River WalkSAN ANTONIO – Swamp rats are having a moment. After a story about their invasion of a Texas park went viral, KSAT reached out to the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and learned that the orange-toothed rodents live here, too. The number of swamp rats trapped in past years:2019 - 10 nutria2018 - 60 nutria2017 - 32 nutriaDid you know the world’s largest bat colony can be found just outside San Antonio? If you see a nutria along the San Antonio River you can report the sighting to the San Antonio River Authority at (866) 345-7272 or on the SARA website sariverauthority.org/contact-us-0. “Our staff worked to find an appropriate solution to the damage caused by the Nutria-rat population in an effort to preserve the project’s ecosystem and the health of the San Antonio River.”
19,500 Bluegill stocked along Mission Reach of San Antonio River and in Elmendorf Lake
Read full article: 19,500 Bluegill stocked along Mission Reach of San Antonio River and in Elmendorf LakeSAN ANTONIO – Nearly 20,000 fish were stocked in two bodies of water in San Antonio Wednesday as part of an ongoing proactive ecological restoration by the San Antonio River Authority (SARA). The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division stocked approximately 15,500 adult Bluegill in the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio River Walk and 4,000 Bluegill in Elmendorf Lake, according to Shaun Donovan, the environmental sciences department manager for SARA. More than 100,000 fish, including Guadalupe Bass, Channel catfish and Bluegill, have been stocked along the Mission Reach since the completion of an ecosystem restoration project in 2013, according to Donovan. He also noted that “Mission Reach has become a hotspot for birding; a three-year avian study resulted in the observation of more than 200 species.”Thousands of catfish to be stocked in two San Antonio neighborhood lakesDonovan pointed out that instream ecosystems are slower to recover despite the success with the reintroduction of plants and birds. “River Authority staff will continue with additional fish stockings and reintroductions and are exploring a reintroduction of freshwater mussels that could begin as early as 2021,” Donovan said.
City parks to be closed over Easter weekend, officials say
Read full article: City parks to be closed over Easter weekend, officials saySAN ANTONIO – Update 4/3/20San Antonio city leaders officially announced on Friday that city parks would be closed to the public on Easter weekend. Update 4/2/20:City leaders said Thursday that city parks will be closed to the public on Easter weekend. “Right now we’re looking at closing all the city parks on Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend, starting midnight on Friday, all the parks will be closed. Easter camping is a long-standing tradition in San Antonio when the city usually lifts the curfew at parks for three nights leading up to Easter Sunday. Now, the city is looking to close the parks entirely over Easter weekend to keep people from holding celebrations and gatherings.