Salado Creek Foundation

Looking Back and Ahead

Jan 01, 2001

It was a very good year. That?’s what many who live, work and play along the Salado Creek are saying about the year just ended, as they look forward to 2001 with a renewed sense of optimism for a bright future.

During the past year, residents who want to turn the 38-mile Salado Creek into both an efficient conduit for storm water and a vital community asset during the 98 percent of the time when it is not raining have held monthly meetings. The get-togethers, sponsored by the George Bush School of Public Policy at Texas A & M University, gave participants an opportunity to learn quite a bit about urban stream dynamics. In December the group presented their recommendations for watershed management to Mayor Howard Peak.

In addition to working on management ideas, the group also participated in a number of other beneficial community projects. For example, in October, volunteers coordinated a litter pickup project in the Pecan Valley area where the Salado Creek crosses Roland Avenue, collecting a large amount of garbage, mattresses, furniture and tires.

Volunteers also participated in a citywide tree-planting event held in December. Near the Salado Creek, a number of trees were planted at VIA bus stops on Rigsby Avenue in the Comanche Park area. Also in December, the group sponsored a bus trip tour of the watershed so that participants could become more familiar with the wide variety of conditions that exist along the creek.

Hundreds of people have heard presentations by the group?’s speakers bureau. The talks, to neighborhood associations, and business and school groups, have given residents an opportunity to learn more about upcoming developments that are most important to their particular area.

The group has also established two web sites that local residents can use to easily access up to date information about creek happenings. Those sites have recorded more than 1,300 visits in just a short time. In addition to this site,the group is also working to develop a site with a better graphic look (more and prettier pictures) at http://www.salado.org.

For those not connected to the information superhighway, the group has established a 24-hour message line at 333-7181.

With millions of tax dollars earmarked for improvements to the creek, residents are eager to participate in the first general membership meeting of the Salado Creek Foundation on Thursday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the San Antonio River Authority headquarters building at 100 East Guenther. That meeting is free and open to anyone interested in helping plan the future of the watershed.