Partnership Highlight: United States Fish and Wildlife Service

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River Authority Environmental Sciences field staff conducting a fish survey.

In science, as in life, remarkable achievements are rarely reached alone. Over the past few months, the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) has been proudly showcasing the success of our first-in-Texas Freshwater Mussel Reintroduction Project. While the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been mentioned in these efforts, their vital partnership deserves even greater recognition. Today, we invite you to read along as we celebrate this invaluable collaboration!

A man holds up two fish.

Bailey Gaines from USFWS holding two Flathead Catfish, one of the host fish for the freshwater mussel making efforts.

From the very beginning, the River Authority’s freshwater mussel journey has involved the USFWS. In 2014, when the River Authority began conducting basin-wide mussel surveys, USFWS staff helped our agency to develop survey techniques and evaluate the possibility of listing one of the San Antonio River’s native mussels on the Endangered Species List—the USFWS ultimately decided not to designate that species as endangered. During that evaluation phase, the River Authority began discussing the possibility of reintroducing mussels and assessing problems we might face in doing so. The biggest barriers identified were in the process of producing young mussels. Once again, we were able to turn to the USFWS.

Two men handle a fish near cooler

Austin Davis (River Authority. left) and Bailey Gaines (USFWS, right) attaching Yellow Sandshell larvae to a Spotted Gar’s gills.

You may have come across the phrase standing on the shoulders of giants; it expresses the idea that we can only accomplish the acts of today by building on the work of those that came before us, a phrase made popular by Sir Isaac Newtown (the guy who first described gravity thanks to the apple falling on his head!). In the world of mussel propagation—producing young mussels with help from natural processes—the USFWS is one such giant. The River Authority decided to rely on this expertise for our efforts and in 2019, after nearly two years of research with the San Marcos Aquatic Resource Center — yet another USFWS facility—we entered into an agreement with the Inks Lake National Fish Hatchery (Inks) in Burnet, Texas.

Metal shelves filled with water chamber crates

Freshwater Mussel grow out system at USFWS Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery.

Since singing the contract in 2019, the dedicated team at Inks has run tests to identify toxins and suitable host fish, tested out countless ways to grow baby mussels into river-ready creatures, and provided feedback for the River Authority’s mussel program. The Inks crew’s expertise and scientific curiosity, combined with the institutional knowledge from across the country, has made the USFWS the perfect partner. While our current contract with the USFWS extends until September 2026, this partnership is far from over. As the River Authority and the USFWS continue to successfully implement the first freshwater mussel reintroduction in the state of Texas, we hope to keep lifting people onto our shoulders to advance scientific innovations and keep creeks and rivers safe, clean and enjoyable for generations to come.

A woman stands behind a podium.

Amy Lueders, Regional Director, Southwest Region for the USFWS, speaks at the River Authority’s mussel release media day in May 2024.

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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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