Green Infrastructure Impact Overview Dashboard Highlights Benefits to the San Antonio River Basin

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Bioswales help capture stormwater runoff in urban areas to help improve water quality in our area creeks and rivers.

As part of our commitment to safe, clean, enjoyable creeks and rivers, the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) actively promotes the use of green infrastructure, a group of design practices which function like green space and natural areas to slow, detain, and filter stormwater. The design and installation of green infrastructure helps reduce local flooding and improves water quality.

The River Authority has built a Green Infrastructure Impact Overview dashboard to support the community in understanding the benefits of using green infrastructure to address stormwater runoff. Read along as we share more information about the dashboard features and why it’s important to treat stormwater runoff to protect our creeks and rivers!

Why is it important to treat stormwater runoff?

In the San Antonio River Basin, as more natural surfaces are paved and developed, less rainwater percolates into the ground and instead goes over impervious surfaces and into storm drains, picking up pollutants and carrying them directly to creeks and rivers. The untreated rainwater that goes into storm drains and directly to our creeks and rivers is known as stormwater runoff. Pollutants like oil, grease, metals, bacteria, sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, and thermal pollution accumulate on surfaces. During rain events, these pollutants are emptied directly into creeks and rivers as stormwater runoff is carried through traditional stormwater infrastructure. Runoff during hard downpours can contribute to street and neighborhood flooding as well. Over time, surges of stormwater runoff from urbanized areas can erode creek banks and negatively affect bridge and other community infrastructure.

Measuring the Impact of Stormwater Management

The relationship of stormwater management to sustainable development methods is sometimes not so obvious. The mission of this dashboard is to introduce the green infrastructure (GI) method of stormwater management and to quantify the results of known, verified GI features installed within the San Antonio River Basin. Using data from our Watershed Wise Rebate Program, school grant portfolio of green infrastructure projects along with information extracted from green infrastructure retrofit projects at our facilities, a calculation of the benefits provides a clearer idea of the advantages of five green infrastructure methods.

The interactive dashboard indicates data for the following methods commonly referred to as best management practices (BMP): bioretentions, cisterns, permeable pavement, bioswales, and green roofs. By clicking on a BMP, the dashboard will automatically calculate the cumulative result of the specific BMP from all known, verified project sites. The Impact Overview dashboard measures stormwater volume controlled, total suspended solids removed, total nitrogen removed, E. Coli removed, and impervious area treated. For visualization, the dashboard provides relatable examples to help define the magnitude of these measurements such as Olympic pools and football fields.

We invite you to explore this new dynamic dashboard and hope this inspires more people to employ green infrastructure strategies that will not only improve stormwater management, but will also provide numerous other environmental, social, and economic benefits – all resulting in healthier creeks and rivers!

 

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Alerts

Trail Closure Notice: McCullough and Brooklyn Bridge

Trail Closure along both east and west banks under the McCullough and Brooklyn Bridge will be intermittently closed to refresh the artwork on the bridge. Alternate route with ADA access is available on the east bank from the pedestrian bridge at Brooklyn Ave. Click for map

 

San Pedro Creek Culture Park

The restrooms at South Alamo will be temporarily closed for maintenance and repairs. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 

West Bank Trail Closure Notice

Due to the construction of a new trail and bridge, the West Bank of the trail between Schiller St. and Newell St. will be closed for the next couple of months. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Acequia Trail Notice

The Acequia trail will have heavy traffic near MROC starting May 22nd until further notice. The SAWS Acequia project will be bringing in crews to work on the lift station site and across the street. There will have flaggers to stop traffic, please use caution. 

SASPAMCO Paddling Trail

The SASPAMCO paddling trail is open from River Crossing Park to Helton Nature Park.
*Please Note: Paddling Trail from Helton Nature Park to HWY 97 is still closed due to blockages. 

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