Presented at the TWCA Fall Conference 2012 www.twca.org

1. Restoring the San Antonio River
TWCA Fall Conference
October 25, 2012

2. The Alamo
Mission Concepción
Photo Credit: opencontent
Mission San José
Mission San Juan
Mission Espada

3. 3

4. Olmos Dam
Bypass
Channel

6. Channelized River
LEGEND
SACIP HEAD WATERS
K
CREE
ORIGINAL ALIGNMENT
SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN HILDEBRAND AVE.
TRIBUTARY
N 281
Z
TINE
W E
MAR
LE
S
XI
NG
AL
TO
AZ
AN 81
35
N
AV
E.
CREEK
AP DOWNTOWN
AC SAN ANTONIO
HE
CREEK
NU
EV AS
T.
O
DR
CREEK
PE
N
SA
T.
90 OS
AM 90
AL
10
10
MISSION
CONCEPCION
SA
N
281
AN
TO
NI
81 MISSION
O
37
SAN JOSE
35
RI
VE
R
MISSION
SAN JUAN
410
ESPADA
MISSION
6

7. Includes
recirculation
pumps to
ensure
adequate flow
through
downtown San
Antonio

8. PROJECT
PARTNERS
•Bexar County
•City of San Antonio
•San Antonio River Authority
•San Antonio River
Foundation
•San Antonio River Oversight
Committee
•U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers

9. Project Benefits
• Flood Damage Reduction – Project will
maintain or decrease the elevation of the 100 year floodplain.
• Ecosystem Restoration – The changes
proposed will increase water quality and the quantity and
diversity of plant and animal species.
• Quality of Life – Add to San Antonio’s unique charm
and make the city more attractive to residents, visitors, and
businesses and provide enhanced recreational opportunities
along an expanded linear park system.
• Cultural Connections – Linking people,
neighborhoods and cultural resources and celebrating the
historical connection of the river to four of the five historic
missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
• Economic Development – Promote
business development along and adjacent to the river.
Improvements will also enhance tourism.

10. Project Partners and Budget
Presented in millions of dollars
Total City County Private SAWS USACE
Funds
Concept Design $1.0 $0.3 $0.7 - - -
Downtown Reach $13.3 $2.4 $10.9 - - -
Eagleland $13.6 $6.2 $4.8 - - $2.6
Museum Reach $12.6 $11 $1.6 - - -
Park
Museum Reach $72.1 $52.3 $13.1 $6.5 $0.2 -
Urban
Mission Reach $245.7 $6.5 $176.6 $4.7 $6.0 $51.9
TOTAL $358.3 $78.7 $207.7 $11.2 $6.2 $54.5
San Antonio River Authority (SARA) committed to Operation and Maintenance as
construction phases are completed.

11. Museum Reach

12. Mission Reach: Project Limits
• 8 mile ecosystem
restoration and
recreation project
• Restoring river
previously channelized
by U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers for flood
control

13. Mission Reach Project
Budget
In Millions of Dollars
Total Bexar Bexar City SAWS Private USACE
County County
Visitor
Tax
Mission $245.7 $75.6 $39.7 $6.5 $6.0 $4.7 $51.9
Reach + $61.3
Project $101 total
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2009: The non-
Federal interest for the project may carry out design and construction work on the project in
advance of Federal appropriations or may provide funds directly to the Secretary for the Secretary
to carry out such work; Provided, That the Secretary of the Army shall reimburse the non-Federal
interest for any costs incurred by the non-Federal interest that are in excess of the non-Federal
share of total costs subject to the availability of appropriations.
In addition to the $115.3 million of Bexar County Flood Tax and Visitor Tax identified above, Bexar
County is contributing another $61.3 million to advance federal funding to keep the project on the
optimum schedule. Bexar County’s total contribution to the project is $176.6 million.
San Antonio River Authority is committed to Operation and Maintenance as construction phases
are completed.

14. Pre-Channelization 2008 Channel

15. 1954 USACE Authorized
Channelization

16. Migratory
Flyways
of North
America:
Central
Flyway
Image: Texas Parks & Wildlife

17. Monarch Butterfly
Migration

18. Site Hydrology
1. Upper gage (SAR at Mitchell St.)
• Flow max: 14,300 cfs
• Height max: 12.94 feet
2. Lower gage (SAR at Loop 410)
• Flow max: 79,400 cfs
• Height max: 32.57 feet
3. Overall range: 10 - 100,000 cfs

19. Ecoregions of San Antonio,
Bexar County and Surrounding Areas
Edwards Plateau
• Blackland Prairie
• Edwards Plateau
Blackland Prairie
• South Texas
South
Plains Texas Plains
Post Oak
Savanna
• Post Oak Savanna

20. Project Elements:
Recreational Features
• 15+ miles of hike/bike
trails
• 8 street connections
• 89 benches
• 137 picnic tables
• 5 overlooks with shade
structures
• 9 water edge landings
• 6 foot bridges
• 4 pavilions

21. Project
Elements:
Mission
Portals

22. Project Elements:
Formal Landscapes
• Street Connections
• Mission Portals
• Pocket Parks & Plazas

23. Project
Elements:
Restoration
Plantings

24. Mission Reach Ecosystem
Restoration
Existing River Channel Proposed River Channel
Existing Proposed
Riverine System Rating = 1.2* Riverine System Rating = 8.2*
* Per USACE study; based on scale with 1 as extremely degraded and 10 as pristine;
proposed condition rating is at 50 year maturity period

25. Restoring Aquatic Habitat
Features
• 8 miles river length
• ~113 acres
• Riffles, runs & pools
• ~13 acres embayments (marshes)
• 2 river remnants restored
• Aquatic plants:
• 20 species
• Emergent, submersed &
floating leaved

26. Restoring Riparian Woodland
• ~334 acres
• Herbaceous Groundcover:
• 60+ native grass & wildflower species
• Over 10,000 pounds of seed
• Woody Plants:
• 44 native tree & shrub species
• 23,000+ young trees & shrubs

27. Restoring
Trees & Shrubs
over 23,000
Draft Tree Planting Plans

28. Representation of 25 Year Progression

29. Mission Reach: Phase 1
• ~1 mile section
• “Soft Opening” Dec 2010
• Grand Opening June 25,
2011
• SARA O&M
• ~3,000 trees/shrubs
planted Dec 2011,
survivorship monitoring
Spring 2013

30. Mission Reach: Phase 2
• ~ 1 mile section
• Grand Opening June 25,
2011
• SARA: all non-vegetation
O&M
• Contractor: vegetation
management to meet
performance criteria
• ~ 2,000 trees/shrubs to
be planted Nov-Dec 2012

31. Mission Reach: Phase 3
• ~ 6 mile section
• First segment opened
June 2012
• Second segment opening
October 27, 2012
• Third segment opening
Spring 2013
• Final segment opening by
Fall 2013
• ~18,000 trees/shrubs to
be planted in 2014 and
2015

32. Operations & Maintenance: Balancing
Storm Water Conveyance, Habitat
Restoration and Recreational Uses

33. General O&M Task Prioritization
1. Safety
2. Structural failures
3. Impediments to recreational uses,
particularly trails (e.g. fallen trees on
the trail)
4. Vandalism, particularly highly visible
areas
5. Routine activities (e.g. vegetation
maintenance, litter, etc.)

34. Landscape Scale Ecosystem Restoration
is a
Slow Process & Land Management is
Critical to Achieve Goals
Year 1 Representation Year 25 Representation

35. General Vegetation
Management and Monitoring
• Keep the good areas good
• Reduce invasive non-natives
• Encourage increased
coverage by natives
• Replant as needed and
feasible
• Maintain native species
diversity

36. Plant communities change
over time and management
must adapt to changes
• Seasons
• Weather conditions
• Plant succession
• Disturbances

37. Plant Community Dynamics
Spring Wildflowers Fall Grasses

38. Plant Community Dynamics
May 2009 May 2010

39. O&M Challenges
• Weather
• Urban storm water runoff
• Access for equipment
• Ongoing/new projects
• Good & bad plants together
• Bad plants providing benefits
• Pet & yard waste
• Pedestrian traffic
•

40. Vegetation – 299 species documented
Herbaceous: 213 species Woody: 86 species
• native: 165 (77%) • native: 73 (85%)
• planted: 93 • planted: 55
• volunteer & existing: 90 • volunteer & existing: 44
• non-native: 48 (23%) • non-native: 13 (15%)

44. 44

46. GOVERNMENT AND
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

47. San Antonio River
Oversight Committee
(SAROC)
• 22 member citizen’s oversight
committee formed in 1998
• Co-Chairs Lila Cockrell (former mayor)
and Irby Hightower (architect)
• Remaining 20 seats filled by
participating groups/organizations
• Museum Reach, Eagleland and
Mission Reach Committees
– Park, Urban and River South sub-
committees

48. Educational Outreach

49. Community Events

51. MISSION REACH –
LEADING THE NATION IN URBAN
ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

52. SAN ANTONIO RIVER
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT
For More Information:
Steven Schauer
210-302-3644
sschauer@sara-tx.org
Lee Marlowe
210-302-3624
lmarlowe@sara-tx.org
www.sanantonioriver.org
www.sara-tx.org