San Antonio River Authority history

April 21, 1941: Texas Cavaliers First River Parade - The Texas Cavaliers sponsor their first Fiesta night parade on the San Antonio River Walk attracting an estimated 50,000 people to the river. (Photo credit: Fiesta San Antonio)

The lack of feasibility for the canal project, combined with a devastating flood in San Antonio in 1946, changed the emphasis of the District from navigation to flood control.

With a new focus on flood control, the District was renamed the San Antonio River Authority in 1953.

In 1954, Congress authorized construction of the San Antonio Channel Improvement Project (SACIP), on which the River Authority served as local sponsor for this United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project.

Construction began on the SACIP in 1958.

1959: Dams in Bexar and Karnes Counties Underway - Nine dams along Calaveras Creek (Bexar County) and eleven along Escondido Creek (Karnes County) were completed and plans were underway for additional dams along Martinez Creek and Salado Creek (both in Bexar County).

With these new funds, the River Authority was able to start the basin stream monitoring and surveillance program in 1962 - San Antonio River Authority stream monitoring is still going today.

April 6, 1968: Hemisfair - “HemisFair 1968” opens on April 6th and closes on October 6th 1968.

From 1970-73, San Antonio River Authority successfully litigated against eight polluters in the basin, thereby establishing public awareness of the River Authority's commitment to water quality.

The project garnered the Chief of Engineers’ 1971 National Award of Merit for General Landscape Development.

The River Authority's Upper Martinez and Salatrillo Creek wastewater systems expanded in 1974.

River Authority staff moved into their new main office and laboratory facility at 100 E. Guenther in San Antonio in 1975 - this building still houses the River Authority's main office.

From this new facility, the River Authority began providing laboratory analytical services to the Texas Water Quality Board and its successor, the Texas Department of Water Resources in 1976.

Acting as a leader in water conservation, the River Authority enacted an Urban Water Conservation Program in 1979 requiring water-saving plumbing fixtures in all new development added to the River Authority's sanitary sewer systems.

1987: Dos Rios Water Recycling Center Opens - The City reorganized its water department into a new agency named the San Antonio Water System (SAWS)

1997: San Antonio Tunnel Constructed - Completion of the San Antonio River Flood Tunnel designed to work with the Olmos Dam to protect downtown San Antonio from damage.

Ten months later, on October 17-18, 1998, south central Texas experienced record-breaking rainfall, and the tunnels performed as designed, sparing downtown San Antonio from a devastating flood.

One of the first new recreation projects was an interlocal agreement with Wilson County for the development, operation and maintenance of Jackson Nature Park, a 50-acre tract on Cibolo Creek that had been donated to the county in 1999.

The 2002 floods also served as a catalyst for the creation of the Bexar Regional Watershed Management (BRWM) partnership which brings the River Authority together with COSA, Bexar County and 20 suburban cities within Bexar County to work cooperatively on water quantity and quality issues.

Established in 2003, our 501(c)(3) was created to provide amenities and enhancements along the San Antonio River and its tributaries not funded by public monies.

By 2004, design of both the Mission and Museum Reaches were nearing completion.

By 2005, the River Authority began to take steps to acquire water rights by purchase to help ensure adequate environmental flows in the river.

In 2006, the USACE approved a project cooperation agreement to initiate the construction phase of the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project.

In 2007, the Environmental Sciences Department Laboratory held its grand opening, and a few months later, the lab received National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation.

In 2008, Bexar County Commissioners Court approved a Flood Control Capital Improvements Program – through the BRWM partnership, the River Authority provided the county technical assistance with the planning for capital improvement program and real estate acquisition services for the program.

With development of the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas fields underway by 2009, the River Authority became involved in a number of issues related to the burgeoning oil and gas exploration and development.

Construction of the SARIP Mission Reach Project continued with groundbreakings for Phases 2 and 3 of the project taking place in 2010.

In 2011, the River Authority organized a multi-agency summit to bring all the different regulators together in order to share information and develop contacts with each other.

In 2012, the EARIP stakeholders submitted a plan for approval to the FWS, and the River Authority's role in the EARIP process expanded as the River Authority took on the responsibility to acquire 40,000 acre/feet of water in support the EARIP plan.

The Mission Reach Project, along with the Museum Reach which is north of downtown, were completed by the end of 2013.

In October 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies involved in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership announced the designation of the San Antonio area as an Urban Waters location.

Four lives were lost and significant damage occurred in downtown San Antonio estimated at $250,000 (almost $6.2 million in 2017 dollars).