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Environmental Investigations

Members of the environmental response team are River Authority staff with a background in ecology, aquatic biology, water quality, stormwater, natural resources, and environmental management. The team’s mission is to protect human health and the ecology of waterways in the basin. Streams are patrolled frequently by helicopter or vehicle in search of negligent point-source pollution and habitat degradation.

The team collaborates with regulatory agencies to help reduce activity that cause considerable damage to the environment of a stream. To achieve this, the team joined the South-Central Texas Environmental Task Force (SCT-ETF), a group of agencies dedicated in enforcing our local, state, and federal environmental laws.

Investigations include, but are not limited to:

If you see illegal dumping or fill material on private property or a public roadway, reported it to the city or county code-compliance office. In San Antonio, call the City’s Customer Service hotline 3-1-1. In Bexar County call, (210-335-6700).

Emergency Spill

Our agency is equipped to respond to a petroleum spill in our river. To ensure a quick and appropriate response River Authority staff use emergency kits to contain the spill and prevent it from spreading.

Spills involving dangerous chemicals should be reported to first responders such as the San Antonio Fire Department who are trained to oversee a serious incident.

If you see someone dumping pollutants (chemicals, fuel, or motor oil) in or near a stream, report it immediately to law enforcement. The officer responding to the incident will notify the appropriate agency.

Spills involving the release of sewage into the environment should be reported to the city or county in which you live in.  In San Antonio, call the City’s Customer Service hotline.  

Fish Kill

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department the most common cause of fish kills is low dissolved oxygen. If there is not enough oxygen in the water, fish cannot “breathe.”  Low dissolved oxygen can be the result of human activities, but in many cases, it is a natural occurrence.

If you see numerous dead fish in our river, report the incident to the River Authority.

You can reach the River Authority at (210) 227-1373 or, toll free at 1(866) 345-7272.

Alerts

Trail Closure Notice: San Pedro Creek Culture Park

The west bank of the San Pedro Creek trail will be closed from the access point at Commerce St south to Dolorosa until further notice due to maintenance work. Alternate route w/ ADA access is on the east bank trail that can be accessed either from the Commerce or Dolorosa crossing.

SASPAMCO Paddling Trail

The SASPAMCO paddling trail is now 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.*  

Stem Density Efforts

Stem Density efforts are still in place but will not directly affect any parks or trails. We apologize for any inconvenience.

San Pedro Creek Culture Park – STREAM

Due to maintenance, the water features for STREAM art piece will be turned off until further notice. The STREAM Microphone area is also closed due to vandalism. We apologize for the inconvenience.

River Reach Newsletter and Blog Signup

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