San Antonio River Authority endorses Prop. 6, aimed at strengthening Texasโ water infrastructure
The San Antonio River Authorityโs (SARA) Board of Directors adopted a resolution endorsing Proposition 6, which would โ if approved by voters in November โ create more investments in Texasโ water infrastructure and finance water projects.
๐ณ FULL BALLOT: Nov. 7 state constitutional amendment, general, special, charter and bond election
there are 14 state constitutional amendments on the Nov. 7 ballot, and depending on where you live in Bexar County, your ballot could also other items including for director at large of the San Antonio River Authority as well as elections in Converse, Helotes, Hill Country Village and Schertz.
โDonโt Let Litter Trash Your Riverโ: Local initiative working to keep rivers clean
The โDonโt Let Litter Trash Your Riverโ initiative intends to educate the communities throughout the basin and encourage the public to take part in helping keep area creeks and rivers clean by not littering and picking up trash when they see it on the ground.
Will the San Antonio River ever be swimmable? KSAT Explains
The San Antonio River defines our community. However, few of us would ever willingly jump into the urban reaches of the waterway. Itโs not, by any stretch of the imagination, as clean as the nearby Comal or Guadalupe. Why is that? KSAT Explains.
Looking for a fun weekend activity? Check out this cool kayaking event
What 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.
Artists wanted to create massive installation for downtown San Antonioโs San Pedro Creek
SAN ANTONIO โ The San Antonio River Authority is calling for Bexar County artists to apply for a unique opportunity to create a mural for the San Pedro Creek Culture Park downtown. The segment of the creek, which is the second for the park, is currently under construction. The opportunity is open to artists who live in Bexar County and are at least 18 years old. The selected team will have to review designs with SARA and Bexar County officials, and it will be voted upon by the Bexar County Commissioners Court. SARA officials said the artwork should depict the history of San Pedro Creek.
Diversity in plant species helping San Antonio River Walk after severe winter weather
SAN ANTONIO โ Brown plants have littered South Texas after many died or were damaged in Februaryโs winter storms. But along the River Walk, the SA River Authority said they might be in better shape than they thought. However, the River Authorityโs Sustainable Landscape Ecologist, Lee Marlowe, said the River Walk will still be able to support wildlife during the important spring migration. Marlowe said many of the plants that died during the winter weather are actually non-native species people may be growing in their yards. AdNow that it is March, we can expect to see a number of species migrate through South Texas.
Families invited to 3-day virtual space adventure at Planets in the Park event
The San Antonio River Authority is welcoming all children and their families to take part in a three-day, virtual space adventure. SAN ANTONIO โ The San Antonio River Authority is welcoming all children and their families to take part in a three-day, virtual space adventure. This is the sixth year for SARAโs Planets in the Park event, which is set for Feb. 26 -28. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this yearโs event will be in a virtual capacity instead of being held at Helton Nature Park. The event will be virtual on the river authorityโs Facebook page, which can be found here.
Fish found dead along San Antonio River, Texas coast after freezing weather event
The 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 Authorityโs 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
SAN ANTONIO โ 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.
San Antonio River Authority releases inaugural Basin Report Card
As part of the San Antonio River Authorityโs commitment to safe, clean, enjoyable creeks and rivers, the agency created the San Antonio River Basin Report Card. The expert engineers, scientists, technical and specialized staff of the River Authority exercised their best professional judgment to determine the most meaningful list of indicators for this inaugural river basin report card. For this inaugural San Antonio River Basin Report Card, the overall basin grade is 66.2. Given the broader spread in scores, the overall river basin report card numeric score of 66.2 equates to a โBโ grade. The River Authority intends to issue future river basin report cards each September to correspond with World Rivers Day.
San Antonio River Authority releases inaugural Basin Report Card
As part of the San Antonio River Authorityโs commitment to safe, clean, enjoyable creeks and rivers, the group created the San Antonio River Basin Report Card. The expert engineers, scientists, technical and specialized staff of the River Authority exercised their best professional judgment to determine the most meaningful list of indicators for this inaugural river basin report card. For this inaugural San Antonio River Basin Report Card, the overall basin grade is 66.2. Given the broader spread in scores, the overall river basin report card numeric score of 66.2 equates to a โBโ grade. The River Authority intends to issue future river basin report cards each September to correspond with World Rivers Day.
โThereโs no place for this in the River Walk,': SA River Authority says wakeboarding is illegal at city parks
SAN ANTONIO โ Wakeboarding may be a fun, enjoyable water sport but there is no place for it at the San Antonio River Walk or the San Pedro Creek Culture Park, the San Antonio River Authority said. A video surfaced on YouTube earlier this week, showing a man wakeboarding on the River Walk. It jeopardizes the safety of those doing it, passersby who are out enjoying the recreational amenities, and features along the river," SARA said in a statement. If youโre looking for a safe area to wakeboard, or for more on approved recreational activities in San Antonio, click here. RELATED: Investigation underway after San Antonio Riverwalk becomes target of graffiti
UTSA researchers see success in first phase of tracing COVID-19 in wastewater
Wastewater surveillance isnโt new. Many universities across the nation have also used wastewater surveillance to track COVID cases among students. UTSA has partnered with the San Antonio River Authority to collect weekly samples over a 24-hour period from its treatment plants. The first phase included testing the Salitrillo Wastewater Treatment Plant in Converse. Researchers will now focus on the River Authorityโs Martinez II Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Parts of Alamo Street reduced to 2 lanes through 2023 as construction of San Pedro Creek Culture Park continues
SAN ANTONIO โ Portions of Alamo Street will be reduced to two lanes of traffic as construction continues on San Pedro Creek Culture Park, The San Antonio River Authority announced. Construction of the park is entering Phase 2, spanning from Guadalupe Street to just north of Cevallos Street. According to the River Authority, the partial street closure is necessary to begin work on replacing the Alamo Street bridge. The San Pedro Creek Culture Park construction process is phased in four total phases, with three segments in Phase 1, The River Authority said. When the four phases are complete, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park will span 2.2 miles through downtown.
San Antonio, Bexar County, River Authority parks closed for Labor Day weekend
SAN ANTONIO The City of San Antonio is joining Bexar County in closing its parks over Labor Day weekend. Temporarily closing parks encourages the community to stay home, wear face coverings, and practice physical distancing. The San Antonio River Authority announced this week that its parks will be closed including:Confluence Park (310 W. Mitchell St.)Portions of the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio River WalkPavilion along the river near Roosevelt ParkConcepcin Portal and adjoining green space near Concepcin ParkPavilion along the river between Theo Ave. and Mission Rd. Pavilion along the river between Mission Rd. SARA encourages people to wear masks and practice social distancing while on the trails.
Swamp rats live along the San Antonio River Walk
SAN ANTONIO โ 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 worldโs 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. โOur staff worked to find an appropriate solution to the damage caused by the Nutria-rat population in an effort to preserve the projectโs ecosystem and the health of the San Antonio River.โ
Ammonia spill kills more than 50 fish at San Pedro Creek
SAN ANTONIO In a statement to KSAT, the San Antonio River Authority confirmed an ammonia spill that happened at San Pedro Creek on Wednesday and is affecting fish and animals who call the creek home. Yviand Serbones-Hernandez, brand and communications coordinator for the San Antonio River Authority said in a statement that the spill is believed to have happened Kiolbassa Smoked Meats plant by a storm drain inlet on S. San Marcos Street. Hernandez said the River Authoritys Environmental Investigations team confirmed the odor and reported that approximately 50 fish were killed. Hernandez said River Authority staff has continued to monitor the area and reported an increase of dead fish on Wednesday. The River Authority was also made aware of dead fish observed at the river junction of San Pedro Creek and the San Antonio River on the Mission Reach segment.
19,500 Bluegill stocked along Mission Reach of San Antonio River and in Elmendorf Lake
SAN ANTONIO โ 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 Departmentโs 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 โMission Reach has become a hotspot for birding; a three-year avian study resulted in the observation of more than 200 species.โThousands 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. โRiver 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,โ Donovan said.
City parks to be closed over Easter weekend, officials say
SAN ANTONIO โ 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. โRight now weโre 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.
River Walk levels to return to normal after draining
Published: January 9, 2020, 4:39 am Updated: January 9, 2020, 8:54 amSAN ANTONIO โ The River Walk is expected to be back to normal Thursday following a draining for regular maintenance. Crews drained the river from Josephine Street to Nueva Street Monday to make some needed repairs. Biologists with the San Antonio River Authority also removed an invasive species called the apple snail. San Antonio River Walk drained for maintenanceThe snails were discovered in October and several pink egg sacks were collected then. Water levels should be back to normal later today.