Urban Waters federal partnership initiates San Antonio River Basin Project

Dallas — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) are celebrating the start of the Urban Waters Project. The project will reconnect urban communities with their waterways by increasing federal and local communication and coordination. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership is a community-led revitalization effort to improve the San Antonio area’s creek and rivers while promoting economic, environmental and social benefits.

“Restoration of the San Antonio River Basin and its waterways allows city area residents to enjoy the environmental and recreational benefits from their local waters and surrounding lands,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. We look forward to working with our partners to transform degraded waterways into assets and to improve water quality for many years to come.”

The City of San Antonio and SARA are the local co-applicants of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. The other local partners, including Bexar County, National Park Service (NPS), San Antonio Housing Association (SAHA) and San Antonio Water System (SAWS), are working together with the City and SARA to nominate projects that look to reconnect people with urban waters by enhancing recreational opportunities, improving water quality, expanding community water resources and restoring and revitalizing urban creeks.

“The Urban Waters program is great opportunity for San Antonio to continue our focus on improving the San Antonio River and its tributaries,” said Mayor Ivy R. Taylor. “The selected projects touch on most residents' top priorities: water quality and quantity, and building better basic infrastructure.”

“The designation as an Urban Waters Federal Partnership is a recognition of the historical role strong public engagement and collaboration has had in advancing successful projects on our rivers and creeks. This federal partnership will broaden the local collaboration and bring new opportunities to enhance our waterways,” said Sally Buchanan, SARA Bexar County at Large Chairman of the Board.

San Antonio residents are encouraged to attend and discuss the identified projects with the project experts in the San Antonio/Bexar County area and provide input on the projects. Participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing federal agency and partner work in the area. Local project partners will also be available to discuss specifics of the projects.

Waters Federal Partnership are:

• Brackish Groundwater Desalination;
• Olmos Basin/San Antonio Zoo Water Quality and Ecosystem Restoration;
• Eastside Promise Neighborhood/Wheatley Choice/Promise Zone and Salado Creek Greenway;
• San Pedro Creek Restoration;
• Westside Creeks Ecosystem Restoration; and
• San Antonio Missions World Heritage and Cultural Connections.

Other San Antonio-area projects may be added in the future.

More information about the Urban Waters Federal Partnership is available at www.urbanwaters.gov.