Última actualización el 31 de marzo de 2023
Esta serie brinda a los lectores la oportunidad de conocer las ideas y experiencias únicas de la Junta Directiva de River Authority y su conexión personal con el río San Antonio con la esperanza de inspirar la administración de los arroyos y ríos del área.
Deb Bolner Prost’s entrepreneurial career has spanned the advertising, marketing, and statistical data industries with emphasis on branding and consumer perceptual mapping and satisfaction. She held managerial positions with Ed Yardang & Associates Ad Agency before starting Promark Research in 1982. Today, Prost focuses on strategic management, marketing, and research activities via her consulting firm Prost Marketing, Inc. She is also very active in her profession and community, having held key officerships in many organizations and is a recently retired Councilwoman for the City of Olmos Park. She has been an at-large board member of the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) representing Bexar County since 2017. Her current term expires in 2023.
¿Cuál es tu tramo favorito del río San Antonio?
I have three “favorite” sections of the San Antonio River. The first includes the Alcance del museo y centro sections of the San Antonio River Walk where you can find me fast-walking from the Turning Basin near the Historic Pearl to the River Authority headquarters. I love the serenity and beauty of nature along the river as well as passing the locks and dam, our own little “Panama Canal.” Seeing the water features, 70,000 plants, and numerous art installations, including the F.I.S.H and Grotto, are my favorites.
I am also an avid cyclist, and often pedal through my next favorite section of the San Antonio River starting at the Blue Star and making my way down the Alcance de la misión of the San Antonio River Walk. I enjoy seeing the breathtaking landscapes, kayakers, and artwork at the Mission Portals where I periodically take the trail from the river to bike around the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which is also a World Heritage Site.
Thirdly, my newest favorite section of the San Antonio River Basin is the Bahía de San Antonio where I have had a chance to visit as a River Authority board member to attend Asociación de la Bahía de San Antonio meetings. This has helped me understand the importance of maintaining the influx of fresh and clean water from the San Antonio River into the ecosistema along our gulf shores.
De todos los proyectos y esfuerzos actuales de la Autoridad del Río San Antonio, seguros, limpios y agradables, ¿cuál cree que es el más impactante o inspirador?
As an active participant on the Parque Cultural San Pedro Creek Citizens Advisory Committee on behalf of the River Authority, I am thoroughly humbled by its magnitude and the project’s organization. The project covers all aspects of the River Authority’s mission including Flood Mitigation by widening and deepening the channel; promoting a Limpio river by the use of native plants as natural filtering systems; and Agradable through the ability to stroll and cycle the area. Visitors to the park can also find valuable information on the San Pedro Creek Culture Park app – which delightfully presents the colorful history of the creek and educates about the various public art projects integrated into the first phase of the project. The app is available for download to Android and iPhone.
¿Por qué es importante ser administradores de la cuenca del río San Antonio y proteger los arroyos y ríos del área?
Enjoying the pollinator garden outside of the River Authority’s headquarters.
Protection of the Cuenca del río San Antonio can have a direct impact on our community. My family settled in San Antonio from the Canary Islands and built civic government and civilian commerce in this area because of the availability of a clean and sustainable water source. The significant population growth in our area and the concurrent economic development brings more pollutants, litter, stormwater runoff, and increased wastewater, all of which can end up in area creeks and rivers. The San Antonio River is a treasure we want to be available for enjoyment of all types for years to come.
¿Cuál es una acción positiva que alguien puede realizar para ser River Proud?
Participating in a litter cleanup event in Olmos Basin.
There is a long list of simple things each person can do to Estar orgulloso del río like picking up after your animals, keeping your car maintained, using environmentally friendly pavers on your driveway, installing bio-swells, using a rain catchment barrel to collect rainwater, planting native trees and plants that will naturally filter rain water, changing the type and amount of fertilizer you use on your yard, and taking your household hazardous waste to acceptable disposal sites – these all add up to helping enhance the health of our river. The River Authority has a significant amount of materiales educativos available to the public to help inspire actions for healthy creeks and rivers.
