Tricentennial Milestones Associated with the San Antonio River and its Tributaries. For over 12,000 years, the San Antonio River has supported life and development along its banks. June 13, 1691 Gobernador Domingo Terán de los Ríos of Coahuila and Father Damien Massanet arrive at the camp of the Payaya Indians. In his diary, Father Massanet states We found at this place the Rancheria of the Indians of the Payaya nation. This is a very large nation and the country where they live is very fine. I called this place San Antonio de Padua because it was his day. In the language of the Indians it is called Yanaguana. SIGNIFICANT May 5, 1718 In his diary Fray Celiz states the Gobernador (Alarcon) in the name of his Majesty fixing the royal standard with the requisite solemnity, the father chaplain having previously celebrated mass, and it was given the name of Villa de Béjar. This site is henceforth destined for the civil settlement and the soldiers (Presidio) who are to guard it, as well as for the site of the mission of San Antonio de Valero established about ¾ of a league down the creek. 1719 First acequia is completed drawing water from San Pedro Springs. September 1719 Mission San Antonio de Valero moves to second location on east side of San Antonio River at the northeast corner of present La Villita area. February 23, 1720 Zacatecan Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo de Buena Vista is founded by Fray Antonio Margil de Jesús a few miles south of Mission San Antonio de Valero east of San Antonio River. June 1721 Mission San José moves to new location on west bank of San Antonio River.
1722 After fire destroys original site of Presidio de Béjar in 1721, Gobernador Marqués de Aguayo moves Presidio de Béjar to west side of San Antonio River (at present site on Military Plaza). 1724 The second location of Mission San Antonio de Valero is destroyed by heavy winds and rain from a hurricane which hits the Gulf Coast; Valero moves to third location (present location) just to the north of the horse-shoe bend and on east side of San Antonio River. 1729 San Pedro Springs Park set aside as a public space by Spanish decree, making it today, the sixth oldest park in the United States. March 5, 1731 The missions San Francisco de la Espada, Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña and San Juan Capistrano relocate along the San Antonio River in close proximity to the Presidio de Béjar. 1734 Spanish Governor s Palace is built near San Pedro Creek within the Presidio. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). 1736 The first bridge is built across the San Antonio River connecting the Villa de Béjar and the Mission San Antonio de Valero. 1740s The Mission Espada acequia built including an aqueduct feature to carry the acequia over a creek. They are still in use today. December 8, 1755 Mission Concepción is completed near the confluence of the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek. December 12, 1755 San Fernando Church is completed between the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek. 1767 The Marqués de Rubi recommends that the Presidio Loreto at La Bahia (near the San Antonio River in present day Goliad County) is to be retained and the Presidio de Bejar at San Antonio (between the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek) is to be strengthened to over eighty men. He also recommends that San Antonio be designated as the new Capital of the Province of Texas and that the Governor reside there and also commands the Presidio. 1790 The de la Garza House constructed near San Pedro Creek. The structure is believed to have been one of the oldest residences left standing in the city and is listed on the NRHP.
June 12, 1813 Colonel Elizondo with his Spanish Royalist army of 700 regular soldiers and over 300 volunteers camp on the outskirts of San Antonio, about 500 yards west of Alazán Creek. March 29, 1813 At the Battle of Rosillo Creek (aka. Battle of Salado Creek), the insurgent Republican Army of the North defeats the Spanish Royalist Army. August 18, 1813 Battle of Medina; Insurgent Republican Army of the North, led by Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara, is defeated by Spanish Royalist troops under Gen. Joaquin Arredondo. July 5, 1819 In a written report by Antonio Martinez, Gov. of Province of Béjar announces that San Antonio has suffered much damage and loss of life at the hands of a great rain and the flood of water from the San Pedro Creek and San Antonio River. Many homes have been swept away and many citizens have been left destitute. August 5, 1830 One of the earliest mentions of appropriations of funds for the construction of bridges across waterways in San Antonio comes up during a Cabildo session on August 5, 1830. The discussion is centered on the investment of some of the funds generated from the operation of a community slaughter house to the construction of bridges at the principal streets that cross the San Antonio River. October 28, 1835 Battle of Mission Concepción. Texian troops, led by Jim Bowie, defeat Mexican troops in a fight on the banks of San Antonio River near the conflux with San Pedro Creek. November 26, 1835 Grass Fight occurs on Alazán Creek just west of San Antonio. December 5-9, 1835 Storming of Béjar. Texian and Tejano troops defeat the army of Gen. Martín Perfecto de Cos in a bloody door to door battle in present day downtown San Antonio. Ben Milam is killed during this battle, shot by a sniper positioned near the San Antonio River. February 23 March 6, 1836 After a 13 day siege of the Alamo by Mexican forces led personally by General Antonio López de Santa Anna and vowing that no quarter will be given, nearly 190 Texians sacrifice their lives to defend the Alamo and to defend Texas. March 27, 1836 Santa Anna continues his campaign by capturing the Texians who surrendered at Presidio La Bahia and executes Commander James Fannin and the Texas prisoners of war in what is known as the Goliad Massacre.
A pril 21, 1836 Texians capture Santa Anna at San Jacinto to the cries of Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! resulting in one of the most decisive battles in Texas history. The Treaty of Velasco is signed between Sam Houston and General Santa Anna. December 22, 1836 The new Republic of Texas establishes the County of Bexar with San Antonio as the County Seat. December 14, 1837 By action of its City Council, Ciudad de San Antonio de Béjar is renamed City of San Antonio. 1842 First wagon bridge built at Commerce Street. The bridge was washed away in a few years by a flood. December 29, 1845 Texas officially is admitted as a State into the United States. 1845 San Antonio River and area creeks flood. Following the flood, the first proposal was made to build a dam near the headwaters of the San Antonio River at the end of Olmos Creek. 1846-1848 San Pedro Springs becomes first home of the U.S. military garrison in Texas. 1846 War between the United States and Mexico begins. San Antonio becomes a military center establishing Camp Crockett near present day San Pedro Springs. 1849 German immigrant Frederick Klemcke begins making soap in a small building on San Pedro Creek. Klemcke sold his business in 1851 to Simon Menger, who expanded the facility and operated the San Antonio Soap Works there until 1917. 1850 Casa Navarro, that once was occupied by José Antonio Navarro, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, built near San Pedro Creek. It is considered a Registered Texas Historic Landmark and is listed on the NRHP. 1851 City Council takes official action to reserve a clearly defined area for San Pedro Springs Park. The San Antonio Daily Ledger reported: A public square embracing an extent of fifty acres, has been set apart, above our town. From the heart of this square, leap forth, from God s alembic, the clear waters of San Pedro.
1852 San Antonio River floods into streets at eight feet above normal level. Olmos Dam proposal revisited by city leaders. October 2, 1859 Carl Hilmer Guenther moves from Fredericksburg and opens a gristmill on the San Antonio River near King William Street. October 1860 Governor Sam Houston speaks publically at San Pedro Springs Park about his opposition to the secession of Texas from the US and San Antonio votes with him. 1860 New bridge built on Commerce Street over the San Antonio River. January 28, 1861 Texas secedes from the U.S. 1861 San Pedro Springs Park is used as a Prisoner of War Camp by the Confederate Army. The Menger Soap Works constructed near San Pedro Creek between 1861 and 1862. The structure was the location of a soap factory run by J.S.N. Menger and A.S. Menger that supplied soap for much of San Antonio and southwest Texas during the mid to late-1800s. The structure is listed on the NRHP. 1865 The San Antonio River and area creeks flood killing at least three people. City leaders create formal committee to study Olmos Dam proposal. 1868 Carl Hilmar Guenther builds second mill on the San Antonio River near King William Street. His business grows into San Antonio-based food conglomerate, C.H. Guenther & Son, which is still in operation today. (Pioneer Flour Mills still owned by Guenther descendants) 1869 George Brackenridge purchases 217 acres of land, including the headwaters of the San Antonio River. March 30, 1870 The United States Congress re-admits Texas into the Union. 1871 First iron bridge over the San Antonio River built on Houston Street.
A pril 3, 1877 A water system by J.B. LaCoste and Associates is established. The San Antonio Water Works Company opens in 1878 when LaCoste constructs a pump house near the headwaters of the San Antonio River in what is now Brackenridge Park. Water pressure operates a pump which lifts water to a reservoir near the Old Austin Road on the present site of the San Antonio Botanical Garden. This site is high enough for the water to flow by gravity into the distribution system. G.W. Brackenridge acquired the company in 1883 and began drilling the first artesian well in San Antonio for the water supply. 1878 The Central Candy Company constructed near San Pedro Creek initially as one of the several ice manufacturing companies in San Antonio. The structure is listed on the NRHP. 1879 The Mission Mill, near Mission San Juan, opens, later to become Berg s Mill. 1880 Iron bridge over San Antonio River at Commerce Street installed. Bridge was removed and reinstalled at Johnson Street in 1914. The San Antonio River and area creeks flood. The structure now known as the Vogel Belt Complex was constructed near San Pedro Creek. The structure is listed on the NRHP. 1881 The City Brewery, later to be known as the Pearl Brewing Company, opens on the San Antonio River. 1883 The Lone Star Brewing Company opens on the San Antonio River. 1885 Iron Bridge over San Antonio River at Houston Street moved to new location and a wooden bridge installed. 1890 Four new iron bridges from the Berlin Bridge Company in Connecticut installed over the San Antonio River. 1894 The Hot Sulphur Wells Hotel (Hot Wells Resort) opens near the San Antonio River and becomes the crown jewel of the South Side. The spa resort remained open for four decades and hosted a variety of celebrities over the years including Will Rogers, Cecil B. DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplain and Teddy Roosevelt.
1896 Citizens protest the closing of the Alamo s original Acequia Madre. 1897 Brackenridge sold the headwaters of the San Antonio River and surrounding land to the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word for their motherhouse and academy, known today as the University of the Incarnate Word. Classical Revival home built by Van A. Petty at the end of 10th Street on the bank of the San Antonio River would become Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 76 on June 26, 1917. VFW Post 76 is known today as The Oldest Post in Texas and it is a popular location along the Museum Reach section of the River Walk. May 16, 1898 Col. Leonard Wood welcomes Theodore Roosevelt s arrival in San Antonio and Roosevelt organizes the famous Rough Riders. Their training takes place at the old Fairgrounds near the San Antonio River, now Riverside Golf Course. December 4, 1899 Property consisting of 260 acres along the San Antonio River is donated to the City by George W. Brackenridge to be used as a public park, known today as Brackenridge Park. 1899 The San Antonio River and area creeks flood. A pril 24, 1905 San Antonio s first river parade during Fiesta is held. 1906 Water flowing in the Flores Street ditch, previously known as the San Pedro Acequia, is permanently stopped. September 26, 1911 The San Antonio River Improvement Association formed to advocate for cleaning and beautifying the San Antonio River and opposing a proposal to put the San Antonio River in underground conduit from Travis Street to Nueva Street and fill in riverbed between Houston Street and Commerce, including the Great Bend. The plan to bury the river did not happen, thus allowing for the River Walk to be developed and exist as it is known today. 1913 The City Council relies on funds raised as part of a Bridge Bond to construct new or replace aging bridges crossing both the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek.
October 1, 1913 A record rainfall of over 7 inches in 24-hours caused major flooding along the San Antonio River, San Pedro Creek and Alazán creeks. Four lives were lost and significant damage occurred in downtown San Antonio estimated at $250,000 (almost $6.2 million in 2017 dollars). December 3, 1913 Another major flood hit central and south Texas, including the loss of one life in San Antonio and approximately $50,000 of damage in downtown San Antonio (estimated $1.2 million in 2017 dollars). 1914 The concrete Commerce Street Bridge is constructed as part of a major street improvement program. It is located at the historic main ford across the San Antonio River. The bridge is noted for its many decorative details including noted Texas artist Waldine Tauch s sculptured Indian drinking fountain. October 23, 1914 A third flood strikes within a year, this time leaving nine dead and 2,000 homeless as flooding was west of downtown missing the San Antonio River, but impacting San Pedro, Alazán and Apache creeks. Local discussions of building Olmos Dam once again followed the flooding. November 21, 1914 City officials dedicated a River Park with an all-day celebration along Commerce Street. An estimated 50,000 San Antonians joined the celebration of the new park which stretched along the San Antonio River from Houston Street on the north around the Great Bend and beyond Commerce Street to Market Street on the south. The new River Park received praise from national architectural critics. 1918 City acquires West End Lake Park, now Woodlawn Lake. December 6, 1920 Boston engineering firm, Metcalf & Eddy, complete a hydrological study of the San Antonio River for the City. Firm concluded that another severe flood was inevitable. The firm recommended a $4 million project (over $50.8 million in 2017 dollars) that the river be straightened, a dam be built near the headwaters of the San Antonio River on the Olmos Creek and that a river bend in downtown San Antonio be cleared of trees and its base paved to quickly carry flood waters away. March 31, 1921 Protests blocked the clearing of trees and paving of the river bend; thus saving what eventually became the River Walk. September 9, 1921 San Antonio historic flood kills 51 people and causes $3.7 million dollars in damages (over $52.1 million in 2017 dollars). The 7.38 inches officially recorded in San Antonio combined with amounts twice as heavy from higher ground to the north, sent a massive surge of water down the San Antonio River. All but four of the deaths occurred along the San Pedro and Alazán creeks.
1924 The Olmos Dam and Reservoir is constructed after the record flood of September 9, 1921 which extensively damaged the San Antonio business district. November 1924 Members of newly formed San Antonio Conservation Society provided Mayor Tobin and Parks Commissioner Ray Lambert with a two-hour boat ride through the river park from Ninth Street to Market Street in an effort to show how preserving the river beauty would merit changing the Battle of Flowers Parade into a river parade. 1926 Municipal Auditorium, designed by noted architect Atlee Ayers, is built on the banks of the San Antonio River as a memorial to American soldiers killed in World War I. The auditorium was renamed in 2014 as the Tobin Center for Performing Arts. The Witte Museum forms under the charter of The San Antonio Museum Association and is named after San Antonio business person Alfred G. Witte who bequeathed $65,000 to the city for construction of a museum of art, science, and natural history on the banks of the San Antonio River. Work begins on a river by-pass channel by the City. Plans for flood control are published, including draining the river bend and making it a storm sewer with a street built over it. The San Antonio Conservation Society makes a presentation at City Hall and takes Commissioners on canoe rides to show them the potential value of the river and to convince them to save it. June 28, 1929 Young architect, Robert H. H. Hugman, presents his plan for The Shops of Romula and Aragon to Mayor Chambers, two City Commissioners, property owners and civic leaders. The proposal endorses the bypass channel and recommends floodgates at the north end, a small dam at the south end and a tainter gate in the channel to check the flow and create pools of water. The Depression prevents any construction other than the bypass channel that was begun in 1926 and completed in 1930. 1931 San Antonio Conservation Society completes the purchase of the Mission San José Granary and begins its restoration, the first step in a decades-long effort to conserve the buildings and lands of San Antonio s five Franciscan Missions. 1933 Salinas Brewing Company opens along San Antonio River south of downtown. Lone Star Brewing Company purchased the brewery in 1940. 1935 Following a storm, the Olmos Dam proved its worth by holding back 20 feet of water.
1936 Texas Centennial is celebrated with a River Parade. Jack White, owner of the White Plaza Hotel, visited City Hall to urge clean-up and beautification of the river. Congressman Maury Maverick, Mayor C.K. Quin and a group of citizens headed by White pushed for more river development, which culminated in the first funds becoming available in 1938 from the Works Projects Administration (WPA) ($375,000), and from a bond assessment of property owners ($75,000) between Jefferson and River Villita Streets. May 5, 1937 The 45th Legislature of Texas creates the San Antonio River Canal and Conservancy District. The members of original Board of Directors are all from Bexar County and they met for the first time on June 11, 1937. The focus of the newly created District is to plan a barge canal for commercial transportation of goods and materials by commercial barge between San Antonio and the Texas coast. Flood control was added to the District s duties in 1939. 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. A San Antonio River Watershed Study, completed in 1952, recommended the construction of approximately 85 dams throughout the basin; over 40 dams were eventually built. The District was renamed the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) in 1953. In 1961, SARA s board of directors was expanded to 12 elected officials, six from Bexar County and two each from Wilson, Karnes and Goliad counties. March 29, 1939 Ceremony held where Jack White, River Beautification Board Chairman, broke ground on the River Walk. Robert Hugman hired as the architect; Robert H. Turk hired as construction superintendent; and Edwin P. Arneson hired as the engineer. Arneson died a few months later of cancer the Arneson River Theater is named after him. The small pedestrian bridge designed by Hugman crossing the river near the Arneson River Theater, now known as Rosita s Bridge in honor of Rosita Fernandez, a long-time performer at the Arneson River Theater, has become one of the world s bestknown bridges. October 1940 River Jubilee and night parade held on the nearly completed River Walk. March 13, 1941 The WPA completed the River Walk project. Final cost $442,900 ($7.7 million in 2017 dollars); $82,700 came from local funds and the rest from WPA. Mayor Maverick stated, We believe that in all the United States there is no city in which a river has been made a more attractive resort for all people. A pril 21, 1941 The Texas Cavaliers sponsor their first Fiesta night parade on the San Antonio River Walk attracting an estimated 50,000 people to the river. May 8, 1941 Mission San José is named a National Historic Site and placed under the supervision of the National Park Service.
1946 The San Antonio River and area creeks flood resulting in the loss of four lives. 1952 A San Antonio River Watershed Study was completed recommending the construction of approximately 85 dams throughout the basin. 1954 As a result of the flood of 1946, the U.S. Congress authorized the San Antonio River Channel Improvements Project (SACIP) allowing Bexar County and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) to enter into a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve flood control along 31 miles of the San Antonio River and its tributaries. This involved realignment and channelization of the river system to move flood waters quickly away from urbanized areas. Construction began on the SACIP in 1958. 1959 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). Businessman David Straus, under the auspices of The Chamber of Commerce, formed the Tourist Attraction Committee to look at economic development along the river. Over the next several years, Straus personal efforts to improve the River Walk included finding buyers for River Walk properties, helping develop river businesses and launching an updated, redesigned river barge operation. March 28, 1962 City Council ordinance establishes a River Walk District and a seven member River Walk Advisory Commission. 1965 The San Antonio River and area creeks flood. 1967 The iconic, flat-bottom river barge which seats 40 for tours and 20 for dining launched for the first time. A new boat design replaced these classic River Walk barges in 2017 just prior to the City s 300th anniversary. 1968 A major extension of the River Walk was completed just in time for the opening of San Antonio s World Exposition, HemisFair. This extension opened into the city s new convention center complex. A pril 6, 1968 HemisFair 1968 opens on April 6th and closes on October 6th 1968.
1969 The Hertzberg Circus Museum opens at the old Carnegie Library site on the corner of Market St. and S. Presa on the banks of the San Antonio River. Today the building houses the Briscoe Western Art Museum. 1970 Robert Hugman honored by the San Antonio Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for his River Walk design, 30 years after being unceremoniously terminated from the project in 1940. To honor his role in the development of the River Walk, a bust of Hugman was installed by the Paseo del Rio Association in 2015 along the River Walk near his former office. 1971 A major River Walk improvement south toward the King William Historic District was completed by Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project garnered the Chief of Engineers 1971 National Award of Merit for General Landscape Development. 1973 A joint planning effort by six local government entities resulted in the River Corridor Feasibility Study. The study s River Corridor Plan provided a conceptual plan for improvements along the San Antonio River from Hildebrand to I.H. 10 through downtown San Antonio. 1974 The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) led an engineering study of the structural integrity and adequacy of Olmos Dam in 1974, and by 1979 headed construction of the dam modifications, which were completed in 1982. December 1975 William W. McCormick, president of Joske s Department Store, in an effort to get shoppers to come back downtown, credited with convincing the city to install the now famous tradition of putting holiday lights in the trees along the River Walk. Today, the annual holiday river parade, which takes place on the Friday following Thanksgiving, is televised live and is syndicated for broadcast in over 120 U.S. markets. 1976 SARA worked with the City of Floresville to partially fund the Lodi Creek Drainage Project. 1978 San Antonio Conservation Society, along with other local partners including SARA, plays a critical role in the creation of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. 1979 SARA cooperated with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to add some public facilities to Goliad State Park. 1981 First Holiday River parade is held to celebrate the lighting of the river.
March 1981 San Antonio Museum of Art opens on the banks of the San Antonio River in a re-purposed Lone Star Brewery after a $7.2 million adaptive renovation. 1987 The multi-purpose Nueva Street Bridge, Dam and Marina Project on the River Walk was completed by the San Antonio River Authority and the City of San Antonio. Improvements to the River Walk between Durango Boulevard and Nueva Street, including structural modifications to the Arsenal Street Bridge, were completed by the San Antonio River Authority and City of San Antonio. As a result of a lawsuit brought by the San Antonio River Authority against the City of San Antonio s Rilling Road wastewater treatment facility for inadequate treatment of wastewater, the City reorganized its water department into a new agency named the San Antonio Water System (SAWS). SAWS committed to build the nation s largest water recycling system, and in 1987, the Dos Rios Water Recycling Center was built. SAWS accomplished its goal of building the nation s largest water recycling system, and the facility has won numerous environmental awards. 1991 The San Pedro Creek Tunnel is completed and becomes operational. The tunnel inlet is on the San Pedro Creek at Quincy with an outlet in the 100 block of Guadalupe St. Queen Elizabeth II visits San Antonio and is honored with a barge ride on the River Walk with Prince Philip and Mayor Lila Cockrell. 1997 Completion of the San Antonio River Flood Tunnel designed to work with the Olmos Dam to protect downtown San Antonio from damage. The project includes an inlet facility located at Josephine Street and the San Antonio River, a 24-foot diameter, 3-mile long tunnel and an outlet site at Lone Star Boulevard. Ten months after completion of the tunnel, on October 17-18, 1998, south central Texas experienced record-breaking rainfall, and both the San Pedro Creek and the San Antonio River tunnels performed as designed, sparing downtown San Antonio from a devastating flood. In 1999, the tunnel project won the State of Texas Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers; it also received a national-level Award of Merit. A year later, it was one of four projects to receive the Federal Design Achievement Award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as well as an achievement award from the American Society of Civil Engineers in recognition of the San Antonio River Tunnel Inlet Site. October 17, 1998 San Antonio suffers 100-year flood disaster.
1998 Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority authorized the creation of a local stakeholder group to be named the San Antonio River Oversight Committee, whose purpose was to advise the planning, design, project management, construction and construction phasing and funding for the development of flood control and amenity improvements on what would become known as the San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP). 2000 Congressional approval is obtained to include environmental restoration and recreation as project purposes which opened the door for the development of the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project as part of the San Antonio River Improvements Project. July 2002 Devastating floods hit the San Antonio River and area creeks. 2002 The Downtown Segment (from Houston St. to Lexington Ave.) of the San Antonio River Improvements Project was completed and was recognized with a historic preservation award from the San Antonio Conservation Society and the Downtown Alliance s Downtown Best award for the Best Arts & Culture Project. 2003 The Bexar Regional Watershed Management (BRWM) partnership was created which brings the San Antonio River Authority together with the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and 20 suburban cities within Bexar County to work cooperatively on water quantity and quality issues. The San Antonio River Authority creates the San Antonio River Foundation to provide amenities and enhancements along the San Antonio River and its tributaries not funded by public monies. 2004 The final dam within Salado Creek Watershed Project was completed marking the 40th dam built in the San Antonio River Watershed since the 1950s there are 27 dams in Bexar County and 13 dams in Karnes County. 2005 SARA begins taking steps to acquire water rights by purchase to help ensure adequate environmental flows in the San Antonio River. 2006 SARA adopted the Nature-Based Park Resources Plan. The plan also served as a catalyst for SARA to expand its own park resources, which since 2006, has grown to include seven parks along the San Antonio River, one park along the Medina River, one park along the Cibolo Creek and the development of five paddling trails totaling nearly 28 miles. Within a few years, it is anticipated that SARA will offer nearly 70 miles of paddling trails within the San Antonio River Watershed.
May 8, 2007 Construction of the Museum Reach Urban Segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project initiated. 2007 The 6.6 mile Goliad Paddling Trail in Goliad County officially recognized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. May 2008 Bexar County voters approve the $415 million Venue Tax including four Community Venues Propositions: 1) $125 million for the San Antonio River Improvements Project; 2) $80 million for Amateur Sports Facilities; 3) $100 million for Community Arenas and Grounds; and 4) $110 million for Cultural Arts June 2, 2008 Construction of the Mission Reach Segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project initiated. 2008 The Westside Creeks Restoration Project is a community-based project initiated by Bexar County, City of San Antonio, the San Antonio River Authority, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a 22-member citizen oversight committee. The significance of the project is that it will restore portions of the Westside Creeks (Alazán, Apache, Martínez and San Pedro Creeks) in such a way that keeps with and enhances the rich historical and cultural background of the community while also providing much needed recreational amenities to an underserved area of the city. May 31, 2009 Museum Reach Urban Segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project opens adding nearly 1 ½ miles to the River Walk north of Lexington Ave. Five years after the opening of this section of the River Walk the annual economic impact of this section of the river is estimated to be $139 million. 2011 Branch River Park opens in Goliad County. The John William Helton San Antonio River Nature Park opens in Wilson County. 2012 River Crossing Park on the San Antonio River opens in Bexar County. The 12 mile Saspamco Paddling Trail in Bexar and Wilson counties officially recognized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Planning begins for a linear trail park along the Escondido Creek in Kenedy. The 0.75 mile King William, 0.75 mile Eagleland and portions of the 8 mile Mission Reach paddling trails open.
May 25, 2013 Major flood hits San Antonio causing $3 million in damage to the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project, which was still under construction at the time of the storm. October 5, 2013 Mission Reach Segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project opens adding nine miles to the River Walk (including the Eagleland Segment) south of S. Alamo Street. 2013 Graytown Park on the San Antonio River opens in Wilson County. A pril 2014 Impact of the San Antonio River Walk Study released conservative conclusions that 11.5 million people visit the San Antonio River Walk annually which stimulates an overall economic impact of $3.1 billion and support 31,000 jobs. Study area included the downtown River Walk and parts of the new Museum and Mission Reach segments. July 2015 In 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee inscribed the San Antonio Missions on to the World Heritage List. Both the historical and cultural significance of the San Antonio River as well as the San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP), specifically the $271.4 million Mission Reach ecosystem restoration and recreation portion of the project, were mentioned in the material supporting the World Heritage Status nomination. The adopted UNESCO Statement of Outstanding Universal Value acknowledges the important role the San Antonio River played in the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site recognition. September 2016 Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority and 300 San Antonio host a Groundbreaking Ceremony for Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Improvements Project. September 2017 The San Antonio River is awarded the Theiss International Riverprize. The Theiss International Riverprize, presented by the International River Foundation, is the world s foremost award in river basin management. It recognizes and rewards organizations making waves in the sustainable management of the world s rivers, whether at the grassroots or transboundary level. The prize rewards inspiring initiatives that demonstrate Integrated River Basin Management to restore and protect rivers, wetlands, lakes and estuaries. 2017 The 8 mile Mission Reach Paddling Trail in Bexar County officially recognized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. May 5, 2018 As part of Bexar County s 300th Anniversary, the 1st segment of Phase 1, from the tunnel inlet near Fox Tech High School to Houston Street, will open to the public to celebrate the transformation of the San Pedro Creek.
Credits The majority of this timeline was created by the Tricentennial Timeline Subcommittee, which examined turning points and firsts in San Antonio history over a three hundred year period. Extensive newspapers, books and on-line historical sources were utilized. Robert Garcia, Jr. Hector Cardenas Joseph M. Bravo Dr. Amy Jo Baker Betty Bueche Virginia Van Cleave Ernest Menchaca Joe E. Linson Charles John Additional research was conducted by Steven Schauer, Director of Government and Public Affairs at the San Antonio River Authority. The San Antonio River Authority regrets any errors or omissions.