New Park Master Plans

Hendrick Arnold Nature Park contains 74 acres of riparian woodland that fronts on the Medina River. The site, with the exception of the creek bank, was extensively mined for gravel. The mining ended in 1940 allowing riparian growth to cover the site creating one of the few remaining woodland creeks properties in Bexar County. The San Antonio River Authority purchased the property with plans to develop it as a nature interpretive and educational park.  This master planning effort is the first step toward a comprehensive long-range visioning process to identify areas for preservation and interpretation while preserving as much of the site as possible.

Four alternative concepts were developed utilizing a workshop process to establish priorities, develop concepts, and build consensus. These plans were presented at a public meeting and ranking was developed for features to be included in the master plan and also to set priorities for the development of these features. The park should have a number of management zones including a river / riparian zone, a forest and wildlife zone and an activity zone.  Within each of these zones, different maintenance, management, and improvement guidelines and levels were recommended.

From this process ideas from all four master plan concepts were brought together as the preferred Hendrick Arnold Nature Park Master Plan which included the following elements:

Manns Crossing Park contains 88 total acres, 31 acres of nonoperational mining and 57 acres riparian woodland that fronts on the Medina River. The park site was the location of the Ron Pucek’s Living Waters Catfish Farm that was closed in 2000 when the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) purchased the property. In 2013 the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) acquired the property with plans to develop it as a recreational and educational park. 

The planning process began with identifying and meeting with stakeholders that currently use the park and access the river. The Southeast Independent School District was also included in these conversation because of the location of their administrative and school campus adjacent to the north side of the park. These groups helped identify the various recreational and educational opportunities the development of the park could provide.  Three alternative plans were developed utilizing a workshop process to establish priorities, refi ne concepts, and build consensus. From this process ideas for the three master plan concepts were brought together as the preferred Mann’s Crossing Park Master Plan. The following is a list of the preferred facilities that are included in the park plan.

Trueheart Ranch Nature Park contains 351 acres pecan orchards, livestock grazing and riparian woodland that fronts on the San Antonio River. The property was purchased by James and Petra Trueheart and developed in 1848 for agricultural and irrigation purposes.  The Trueheart’s constructed a two-story house of rock and stucco to and they referred to it a “Casa Vieja” [“Old House”]. This house still remains in restored condition on the site. The master plan calls for this house to become the center of all activities proposed for the site.

This master planning effort is the first step toward a comprehensive long-range visioning process to identify areas for preservation, restoration, interpretation, and recreation preserving as much of the site as possible. The planning process began with identifying and meeting with stakeholders that currently use the park and access the river. Discussions with the stakeholders provided the planning team with great insight to the character of the site. Two alternative concepts were developed utilizing a workshop process to establish priorities, develop concepts, and build consensus. These plans were presented at a public meeting and ranking was developed for features to be included in the master plan and also to set priorities for the future development of these features.

Activities include the following:    

The San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) and Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) will be working together on a recreational and environmental collaboration along the historic San Antonio River. The property, known as the Espada Tract or Property, is located on 380 acres of land on the South Side of San Antonio.

The property, located south of Mission Espada, was donated to the River Authority and A&M-SA by The TJX Companies, Inc., the leading off-price apparel, and home fashions retailer in the U.S. and worldwide, after acquiring acreage for a T.J. Maxx Distribution Center on the South Side of San Antonio. TJX committed to donating 15 to 20 acres of land to the Southside Independent School District for construction of a school, as well as the donation of the Espada Property.

The Espada Property protects the scenic open space views along 2.2 miles of the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System, including 1.6 miles along the San Antonio River, surrounding 40-acres around Cassin Lake. This trail system plays a significant role in linking the Median River Greenway System to the San Antonio River Walk and Mission Reach trails, which allow the community to hike or bike from Brackenridge Park to Medina River Natural Area.

The partnership allows for the character of the area to remain, and a chance to restore the area with native shrubland and riparian bottomland forest areas throughout the property, which serve as refuge for resident and migratory wildlife. Plans for the property will be introduced through a master planning process, managed by Dunaway, which will include input from the community.

Proposed plans include a learning center managed by A&M-SA, which will provide an outdoor nature and biology research opportunity for faculty and students. The River Authority will handle operation and maintenance of the property, including Espada dam and Cassin Lake. Inclusion of park amenities will also be considered and developed through the master planning process

This project is currently undergoing public input, master planning, and cost analysis. The next public meeting will be:

Thursday, May 4th, 2023

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

San Antonio River Authority's Mission Reach Operation Center (MROC) 

8510 Mission Parkway, San Antonio, TX 

We would like to hear from you. Please complete the form below to send any questions or feedback about any of the available park master plans. 

Simply select which park you would like to submit a question for OR select all options for general questions.