Members of the environmental investigations team are River Authority staff with backgrounds in ecology, aquatic biology, water quality, stormwater, natural resources, and environmental management. The team’s mission is to protect the health and ecology of creeks and rivers in the basin. Streams are patrolled frequently by vehicle or helicopter in search of negligent point-source pollution and habitat degradation.
The team collaborates with regulatory agencies to help reduce activities that cause considerable damage to the environment of a stream. To achieve this, the team joined the South-Central Texas Environmental Task Force (SCT-ETF), a group of agencies dedicated in enforcing local, state, and federal environmental laws.
Report an Environmental Incident
To report an illicit discharge, illegal dumping, fish kill, water quality concern, or emergency spill, please complete the form below.
Investigations include, but are not limited to:
- Emergency oil, chemical, or sewage spills into or adjacent to a water way.
- Illegal dumping of trash and debris in or adjacent to a creek or river.*
- Water quality concerns - smell, color, or appearance.
- Fish kills
- Illicit discharges into a creek or river from a pipe or storm drain in dry conditions, or other sources.
- Unsafe bank conditions such as erosion.
- Suspicious water activity.
*If you see illegal dumping, trash or debris on private property or a public roadway, please report it to the city or county code compliance office. In San Antonio, call the City’s customer services hotline at 311.
Emergency Spill
Spills involving dangerous chemicals should be reported to first responders such as the San Antonio Fire Department who are trained to oversee a serious incident.
If you see someone dumping pollutants (chemicals, fuel, or motor oil) in or near a stream, report it immediately to law enforcement. The officer responding to the incident will notify the appropriate agencies, including the River Authority.
Spills involving the release of sewage into the environment should be reported to the city or county in which you live in. In San Antonio, call the City’s Customer Service hotline at 311.
Fish Kill
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department the most common cause of fish kills is low dissolved oxygen in the water. If there is not enough oxygen in the water, fish cannot “breathe.” Low dissolved oxygen can be the result of human activities, but in many cases, it is a natural occurrence.
If you see numerous dead fish in our creeks or rivers, report the incident to the River Authority.
You can fill out an online Environmental Incident Report or contact the River Authority at (210) 227-1373 or toll free at 1(866) 345-7272.
Suspicious Water Activities
Various activities may impact the physical, environmental, and ecological health of our creeks and rivers. Suspicious activities may include, but not limited to, pumping water from a stream, seeing no water flowing, noticing someone building a dam or doing construction work in a creek or river, or water being diverted from a creek or river. Activities that seem suspicious may be allowable and approved based on licensing, permitting, or landowner rights.
