SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) announced that it has developed a San Antonio Basin Report Card as part of the agency’s commitment to safe, clean and enjoyable creeks and rivers. The development of the San Antonio River Basin Report Card grew from the River Authority’s drive to harmonize the needs of people and nature through our stewardship of rivers and land. The public can view the report card on the agency’s website where they will see the overall grade for the basin as well as a breakdown of the indicators used in the report card.
“Our staff conducted extensive research to learn from the best management practices from around the world when developing our basin report card,” said River Authority Interim General Manager Steve Graham. “We hope that this tool serves as a motivator for the implementation of positive actions that result in improvements to the health of the San Antonio River Basin.”
The main purpose of the San Antonio River Basin Report Card is to shine a light on the current conditions of the health of the river basin and serve as a catalyst for community discussions. Through engagement and education, the River Authority hopes to empower constituents to make informed decisions on their subsequent actions, future public policy, and investments that support a sustainable San Antonio River Basin. The River Authority selected twelve indicators that were based on observations of basin health and comprised of verifiable data points. The 12 indicators were each given a letter grade and the grades were averaged together for overall basin grade. The data is easy to understand and explained using common language for a user-friendly experience.
The River Authority plans to release the Basin Report Card on an annual basis to coincide with World Rivers Day which is celebrated the last Sunday in September.
To view the San Antonio River Basin Report Card and to learn more about the River Authority’s sustainability efforts and ways to get involved, visit sariverauthority.org.
