Land Use

The Real Estate staff acquires and leases real property for public purposes and for use by the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority). We also process the sale or lease of River Authority property to third parties, the release of River Authority easements on private property, and process land use applications from third parties to use portions of River Authority’s property.

                     

Land Use in the San Antonio River Watershed

The San Antonio River Authority owns the beds and banks along the San Antonio River, its creeks and tributaries. This area lies mostly in the River Authority’s four county district of Bexar, Wilson, Karnes and Goliad counties. However, a portion of the San Antonio River extends into Refugio and Victoria counties. The River Authority also has jurisdiction of the river in this area until the river reaches its confluence with the Guadalupe River.

The San Antonio River Authority has jurisdiction as legislated by the Texas State Legislature, as prescribed in Chapter 276, page 556 of the Acts of the 45th legislature.

The River Authority conveys land rights for both public and private projects which involve real estate owned or controlled by the River Authority.

Creek and River Crossings

The San Antonio River Authority is title holder for the entire beds and banks of the San Antonio River and its creeks and tributaries. In order to receive a temporary or permanent easement to cross the river or a creek, a land use application must be submitted. This packet must contain:

  1. The completed Land Use Application
  2. Project Description Page
  3. Vicinity Map of Project Area
  4. Certified Survey with Metes & Bounds & Plan/Profile Drawing
  5. Methods of Environmental Protection (spills, maintenance, etc.)
  6. Administrative Fee (only checks made payable to the San Antonio River Authority are accepted)

The completed application is then submitted to the River Authority for review and consideration and may need approval from the River Authority’s Board of Directors. The applicant will be advised of all corresponding fees at the time of submission.

River Authority Properties for Lease or Sale

Occasionally, property that the River Authority owns is declared surplus and is made available for lease or sale. A Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued to obtain bids for the lease of the property.

Joint Use Agreements

Joint Use Agreements administered by the River Authority allow the River Authority to monitor new developments in easement and other River Authority real estate interest areas. Both public and private organizations must apply for Joint Use Agreements.

Alerts

SASPAMCO Paddling Trail Temporarily Closed

Staff have removed two large log jams just downstream of Helton Nature Park, keeping the southern portion of the SASPAMCO Paddling Trail temporarily closed. Staff are working to contact adjacent landowners to support a land-based removal solution.

Stem Density Efforts

Please be advised that trails near the Confluence Park and Conception Park area will be temporarily closed due to ongoing Stem Density efforts. We appreciate your cooperation and ask that you remain mindful of workers and closures when in the vicinity. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve our natural spaces!  

Gas Spill

The San Antonio River Authority and the City of San Antonio are actively working to contain a recent gas spill in the Downtown River Walk Loop area, which occurred earlier today. The source of the spill is unknown but has stopped. At this time, no environmental impacts have been observed, and teams are implementing measures to fully contain and remove the substance. We will provide updates as the situation develops.

West Bank Trail Closure Notice

Due to the construction of a new trail and bridge, the West Bank of the trail between Schiller St. and Newell St. will be closed for the next couple of months. The East Bank will also be intermittently closed on Monday, November 4th, to install the bridge. Please use caution when navigating around this area. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please refer to the map for reference. 

San Pedro Creek Culture Park

The restrooms at South Alamo will be temporarily closed for maintenance and repairs. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 

Acequia Trail Notice

The Acequia trail will have heavy traffic near MROC starting May 22nd until further notice. The SAWS Acequia project will be bringing in crews to work on the lift station site and across the street. There will have flaggers to stop traffic, please use caution. 

SASPAMCO Paddling Trail

The SASPAMCO paddling trail is open from River Crossing Park to Helton Nature Park. *Please Note: Paddling Trail from Helton Nature Park to HWY 97 is still closed due to blockages. 

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