The San Antonio River Authority’s (SARA) Utilities Department is SARA’s largest department and performs an important public service for many residents of the San Antonio River Basin. The Utilities Department operates and maintains wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Bexar County as well as water supply systems in Wilson and Goliad Counties.

The Utilities Department includes three sections: Operations, Mechanical Maintenance and Line Maintenance. Employees in these different sections work together to ensure that the vital infrastructure and tools needed to serve SARA’s customers are always in working order.

The Operations section oversees WWTP and water supply system operations. SARA’s three WWTPs in Bexar County serve approximately 29,824 customers, and three more WWTPs are under development to serve customers in east and southeast Bexar County.

The Operations section runs three water supply systems in Wilson County and two in Goliad County, with a third under development for the La Bahia community in Goliad.
The Mechanical Maintenance section maintains and repairs SARA’s WWTPs, water supply systems and vehicle fleet. These tasks are critical to sustaining the operations of SARA’s Utilities Department.

The Line Maintenance section maintains wastewater and water supply lines for SARA’s systems, ensuring the safe transport of water and wastewater to and from customers.

New Administration Facility

The Utilities Department is completing construction of a $1.3 million dollar facility located at the Martinez II Wastewater Treatment Plant that will provide dedicated offices, workstations, conference rooms, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) center, document storage and kitchen in the 9,200 square-foot structure. The new Utilities Administration Building is replacing several old portable buildings that currently serve the Utilities personnel at the treatment plant.

In addition, overhead utilities will be extended to the new building and upgraded for more reliability and a new potable water line for added fire protection. Communication line reliability is anticipated to improve with the new extension. With the help of architect Michael Dean of Dean Design Group, the building incorporates many energy-efficient and renewable materials. Environmental design features include:

Recycled Materials:
• Reinforcing and Structural Steel
• Partitions (100%) and Carpet (50%)
• Asphalt treated materials

Low Maintenance:
• Exterior metal skin eliminates exterior painting
• Metal roofing for longevity

Thermal Insulation:
• Windows are one-inch insulated tinted glass
• Roof insulation is R19 and wall insulation is R11

Energy Conservation:
• Lighting less than 1.5 watts per square foot
• Sensor controlled (voice and motion) switches where appropriate
• All HVAC motors are high efficiency rated with programmable thermostats
• Building orientation to minimize sun heat load
• Hand dryers in restrooms and locker rooms

Water Conservation:
• Water closets and showers are flow restricted
• Reuse water for irrigation
• Low water requirement plantings and Texas native grasses

Low Impact Development:
• Stream restoration at drainage culvert
• Undisturbed areas of site left in natural state

Treatment Capacity Expansion

The purpose of the Martinez II WWTP Phase II 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) Expansion to 3.5 MGD Project is to increase wastewater treatment capacity to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) criteria, add a process to remove sediments from the flow and improve the operator’s flexibility in operating the process. This project includes the addition of the following: raw wastewater screw pump, mechanical screen, grit removal, a mixing structure, a new aeration basin, clarifier and replacement ultraviolet disinfection equipment.

The UV disinfection system upgrade will use approximately 25 percent less power than the existing system and light intensity increases with flow in the new system. This contract also includes an allowance for the construction of a new operator/laboratory building to replace the existing aging structure and portable office. Solicitations for bids for the project were advertised and the bid opening was held on September 3, 2010. The construction duration is anticipated to be 14 months. This is the last treatment plant expansion anticipated for the Martinez wastewater service area.

Access Road

A separate on-going project adjacent to the building involves the construction of an all-weather access road to the new building site. The new entry road will be more direct and avoid the 100-year, or one percent chance, floodplain. The road will allow for two-way traffic during routine operations, in addition to serving as an alternate means of gaining access to the plant during severe flooding events. The half-mile long access road project is estimated to cost $571,000 and includes a 24-foot wide roadbed with an asphaltic surface that does not contain any environmentally harmful coal-tar based materials. The access road and the Administration building are scheduled to be completed by November 2010.

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Mission Reach Update

Crews are hard at work on the construction of the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation project. Soon, construction on Phase I of the project will be complete and the first mile will be open for use. Construction is also underway on Phase II and Phase III of the project. Phase II is one mile in length and is expected to be finished in Fall of 2011. Phase III, the longest stretch of construction at almost six miles, will be finished in 2013. It is exciting to see the remarkable transformation that is taking place as the ecosystem is being restored to a more natural state.

The Mission Reach project aims to restore the river’s ecosystem in several ways. First, a diverse mix of native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees will be reintroduced to the Mission Reach area. This will encourage greater numbers of native species to call this area home. The slope of the river will be reshaped into a more natural, gradual grade. Pool, riffle, run sequences in the river will also be restored, creating a better habitat for fish and other wildlife that rely on the river.

It is important to recognize that the restoration of the ecosystem will not be complete when construction is over. At first, the vegetation may look a little sparse. When the trees are planted two years after the initial vegetation, they will only be small saplings. However, over time the Mission Reach will begin to look more and more like a wild, native Texas landscape. Growing these trees, shrubs and grasses may take a long time, but it is necessary to ensure that the vegetation is hearty and strong. Despite some of the native vegetation taking a while to mature, the Mission Reach hike and bike trails will be a beautiful place to enjoy the outdoors from the day it is opened, and will become more beautiful over the years.

Knowing Our Flood Risk
By John J. Flieller
SARA Board Member, Wilson County

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over the past three years have updated Wilson County’s old floodplain maps by using modern technology and current topography, land use, impervious cover and rain fall data to map our flood risk. The new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) show the flood risk associated with a storm event that drops 10” of rain within a 24-hour period. The maps show areas that would be impacted by flooding which represents the 100-year floodplain, also known as the one percent annual chance storm. A storm of this magnitude has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year, so it is incorrect to assume that such a storm only occurs once in 100 years.

SARA and FEMA have conducted numerous public meetings since 2007 and there was a public comment period based upon preliminary DFIRM maps that were issued on June 27, 2008. Now as Wilson County and the municipalities within Wilson County formally adopt the DFIRMs by ordinance and court order the maps are scheduled to become effective November 26, 2010. It is important that homeowners, businesses and all people residing in Wilson County learn what their flood risk is so they may make educated choices regarding their need for flood insurance. Flood damage is not covered in homeowner and business insurance policies. To see if you reside in a floodplain, please take time to review the new DFIRMs. The maps can be found online at www.SARAFloodFacts.org. You can also view the maps at Wilson County Commissioners Court and your local city hall offices.

The new DFIRMs for Wilson County will also be utilized to develop a Wilson County Watershed Master Plan. A watershed master plan identifies areas that would benefit from cost effective flood mitigation projects. This information will be developed collaboratively with county and city officials to serve as a community guide in prioritizing future infrastructure that will enhance public safety and protect economic opportunities.

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“That’s the difference between theory and practice” is a statement one routinely hears when an idea has failed to become actualized.

Theory and practice are very different, and putting theory into practice is often difficult. If it were easy, every business, government agency or community group that had ever developed a strategic plan would have succeeded in reaching the plan’s annual goals. Often, however, that is not the result.

There are many reasons strategic plan implementation fails. One is that the planning documents are shared only among management and their boards or stakeholders. Another is that these plans and their goals can seem so lofty, so removed from an employee’s day-in, day-out responsibilities in the office or out in the field.

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) has recently engaged in a strategic planning process that did not stop once the goals were recorded on a flip chart. Rather,
SARA’s employees have developed their individual actions and accountabilities to support the agency-wide goals and timelines.

For many employees at SARA, this represents the first time in their professional careers that they have been so intimately involved in agency goal-setting and
–reaching processes.

This is an exciting time at SARA. Staff will work hard this year to engage in networks that drive decisions affecting the environment; to develop tangible project opportunities or improved processes; to expand public and private partnerships; to increase operational efficiencies and to write and develop grants, contracts and investments
that generate revenue; to expand community access to the rivers and creeks; to promote awareness and understanding of the watershed; to grow employee expertise and build individual dedication to SARA’s vision and values; and to identify and mitigate threats to the watershed.

So, next time you see a SARA employee, go ahead and ask how he or she is supporting SARA’s goals.

Whether an administrative assistant, a facilities maintenance employee, a utilities lineman, a financial analyst, a human resources supervisor, an engineer, an education specialist, a lab technician, a real estate representative, a manager or a division director, that employee will gladly answer your question.

Reducing Your Water Use
By Gloria Rodriguez

Late summer is the time of year when we all tend to use more water. We take more showers, wash more clothes and water our lawns more frequently. Fortunately, there are best management practices (BMPs) that we can all implement to help conserve water.

Wise use of water for gardens and lawns not only helps protect the environment, but saves money and provides ideal growing conditions. Simple ways to reduce the amount of water used for irrigation include xeriscaping, mulching or adding water-saving groundcover to your yard. Watering in the early morning before the sun is intense helps reduce the amount water lost to evaporation. For farmers, high-efficiency crop irrigation systems use less energy to pump water and, because they spray downward, less water evaporates before it reaches the crops.

There are many ways to use water wisely inside the home as well. For laundry, Energy Star-rated washing machines provide many energy and water saving options. Using cold water makes your clothing last longer, which will lead to less washes and save energy. In the kitchen, running the dishwasher only when full will conserve water. If you wash dishes by hand, fill the sink with water instead of leaving the faucet running. In the bathroom, test toilets for leaks. This can be done by adding a dye tablet or a few drops of food coloring to the water in the tank. If the coloring appears in the bowl after several minutes, the toilet has a small leak that needs to be repaired.

Using water wisely helps the environment. Water conservation decreases water pollution, increases energy savings and creates more efficient use of our water resources. The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) is committed to water conservation and the responsible stewardship of our basin’s natural resources.

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The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) presented the conceptual master plan for development of a new park property in Goliad, Texas on September 9. This plan was the culmination of months of planning, including input from the community at three public meetings. Plans for the 4.2-acre park include renovation of the historic carriage house that resides on the property and construction of a 9-hole disc golf course, an amphitheater, a pavilion, a picnic area and rental cabins. Plans also call for a trail system and a wildlife-viewing area. The park will be situated between downtown Goliad and the Ferry Street Landing of the Goliad Paddling Trail. By owning and operating this park, SARA will be able to further its initiative of creating increased recreational space along the river, as is outlined in the San Antonio River Basin Plan for Nature-Based Park Resources.

The park property was donated to SARA in 2009 by Elizabeth Branch in honor of the David W. Branch family. Mrs. Branch’s late husband, David, was passionate about connecting downtown Goliad with the San Antonio River. Developing a park on this property will help his dream become a reality. The prime location of this park will serve as a gateway between the river and downtown Goliad, providing a spot for paddlers to take a break from their paddling excursion and a place where downtown visitors can enjoy nature.

Although the property is still mostly undeveloped, it contains several interesting features that are accentuated in the park plans. One feature is a carriage house built in the 19th century. Plans call for the carriage house to be restored and used for educating the public about Goliad County’s historical heritage. A small pecan orchard is also present on the property and will serve as an ideal location for the disc golf course. The disc golf course not only maximizes use of the orchard, but is a creative solution to one of the main obstacles planners faced when formulating a plan for the property: approximately half of the property lies in the 100-year floodplain. Development in the floodplain must be limited to amenities that will not be destroyed or create dangerous debris during a flood event.

The master plan is the first step in what will be a phased development process for the park. Although construction has not yet started on major amenities in the park, SARA has already given the property a significant facelift. During the past year, trees have been pruned, brush has been cleared and routine mowing has taken place. Crews have also implemented erosion control and built a new fence along the property line. For more information about the park, contact the San Antonio River Authority Park Services Department by calling (210) 227-1373, or toll free at (866) 345-7272.

In July 2002, up to 30 inches of rain fell over many areas of the San Antonio River Watershed in less than a week. The level of Medina Lake rose to within a few inches of the top of Medina Dam and water more than 12 feet deep inundated the dam’s auxiliary spillway.

After this event, it was determined that the dam should be strengthened to protect against a potential overtopping event in the future. A failure of the dam during or after a major storm event is estimated to have impacts along the Medina River and San Antonio River Watersheds as far south as Karnes County.

Planned improvements to Medina Dam include anchoring the dam’s abutments to bedrock using tensioned cables and pouring concrete aprons directly downstream of the dam’s abutments to prevent erosional undermining during an overtopping event.

The Texas Legislature authorized a grant of $4 million for dam improvements through the Texas Water Development Board during the 2009 legislative session. Bexar County and the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Water Improvement District each authorized up to $3 million. BexarMet, the Edwards Aquifer Authority and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) have partnered with the funders to ensure the success of the project. SARA will handle project administration and inspection during construction of improvements.

As project administrator, SARA awarded a contract to improve the Medina Dam to Austin Bridge & Road for $3.51 million, almost $5 million less than the engineer’s cost estimate of $8.5 million. Construction began September 10, 2010 and is expected to last nine months to a year.

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From April to October, small, furry, flying visitors grace San Antonio and South Texas residents with their presence. The Mexican Free-tailed bat is the official state flying mammal of Texas. Bats are the only type of mammal that can have true powered flight; flying squirrels glide rather than fly.

Free-tails are nocturnal and hunt at night, eating flies, moths and mosquitos in the dark using a unique ability called echolocation. The bats’ echolocation works exactly the same as sound navigation and ranging (SONAR); the bats emit high-pitched sounds, which bounce off of other flying objects. When the sound bounces back to the bats, the bat can determine where and how large an object is. Free-tails emit these high-pitched sounds up to 200 times per second when hunting, and they will eat up to 24 insects per night. These bats can be found in small colonies—a few dozen to a few thousand—in attics and under bridges, or in massive colonies—tens of millions—like the colonies at Natural Bridge Caverns and Bracken Cave. One particular colony resides under the I-35 Bridge over the Museum Reach-Urban Segment. To see the bats, face the I-35 bridge around the intersection of Camden and Newell Streets and watch carefully from about ten minutes before to ten minutes after dusk in mid-April through mid-September.

Thank you to the 700+ people who attended talks on the Museum Reach hosted by the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD). Stay tuned to your River Reach, and to our website, www.sara-tx.org, for more information on the future Bat Programs in 2011. You can also follow SARA on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about upcoming events. Please contact SARA’s Education Specialist, Matthew Driffill, at 210-302-3222 for more educational opportunities.

Photo Courtesy: The Nature Conservancy - Photo © Vicki Ritter

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Employee Highlight
By Kim Garcia

We are delighted to introduce Rafael “Ralph” Arias, Jr.,
P.E., CFM, Watershed Engineer III with the San Antonio River Authority’s (SARA) Watershed Management Department. Ralph began his career with SARA in December 2007 in the Watershed Management Department as an Engineer II and was promoted recently to Engineer III. Congratulations, Ralph!

Ralph serves as Project Manager for five projects at SARA: Leon Creek Watershed Master Plan; Wilson County Watershed Master Plan; Cibolo Creek U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Study; Leon Creek U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Study; and Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) Project. The objective of the Leon Creek and Wilson County Master Plan Projects is the development of a holistic watershed master plan for the entire Leon Creek watershed in Bexar County and the San Antonio River watershed in Wilson County. The objective of the Cibolo Creek and Leon Creek U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Studies is to identify flood control projects and ecosystem restoration projects. The objective of the Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties DFIRM Project is the development of updated digital floodplain maps for those counties. Aside from working on these projects, Ralph also analyzes hydrologic and hydraulic models within the San Antonio River Basin to calculate amounts of water and extents of flooding that may occur during major storm events. He says his favorite activity at work is analyzing potential drainage capital improvement projects.

Rafael was born in Laredo, Texas and raised in San Antonio. He attended the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at UTSA with an emphasis on Water Resources.
Ralph is married and has three children. His wife is currently attending college as well to obtain her degree in teaching. His children are involved in both sports and marching band. Ralph enjoys attending local high school football games, barbecuing, fishing and taking drives with his family.

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The Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM) studies for Bexar, Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties, part of the national Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Map Modernization Program, are the most complete update to these flood risk maps since their creation.

The DFIRM process uses modern technology and up-to-date topography, land use, impervious cover and rain fall data to map flood risk. In Bexar County, this project cost $14 million. In Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties, the project cost a total of $1.8 million. The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) managed and funded the projects; FEMA and other local governmental partners also helped fund the projects.

The maps for each county were created using updated information and technology. The maps were then submitted to FEMA and released to each community for review. A 90-day appeals and protests period in each county allowed the public to refute or correct information displayed on the maps.

After the appeals and protests period, SARA staff and consultants addressed all appeals and protests to ensure the maps are as accurate as possible. Once this process was complete, FEMA released the final maps to each community within each county. The communities in each county then had six months to formally adopt the maps in their county court order or city ordinance.

Bexar, Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties and all the communities within the counties are on track to adopt the new maps according to FEMA regulations. Adoption of the maps ensures that communities can continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The NFIP makes federally subsidized flood insurance available to residents, property owners and business owners in a community. Participation in the NFIP also allows a community to receive federal disaster assistance in the event of a federally declared disaster.

The new DFIRMs for Bexar County became effective September 29, 2010. The DFIRMs for Karnes and Goliad Counties became effective October 19, 2010. The DFIRMs for Wilson County will become effective November 26, 2010.

The new floodplain maps are available online by visiting www.BexarFloodFacts.org for residents of Bexar County or www.SARAFloodFacts.org for Wilson, Karnes and Goliad counties. For more information on the NFIP, please visit www.FloodSmart.gov.

Have you seen our new look? San Antonio River Authority (SARA) staff worked together to create an improved website for the organization. The new site features expanded content and is much simpler to navigate than the previous site design.

An array of information can be accessed directly from the home page, such as our vision and mission statement, information regarding the four counties in SARA’s jurisdiction, our history and SARA’s core values. Users will also notice a link to our Be Watershed Wise! campaign, the Creek Book and a map of the San Antonio River Improvements Project Bike Trails. On the home page, users can also access executive and financial information, community events, employment opportunities and the River Reach newsletter.

Users can obtain information on a variety of SARA public services such as Utilities, Community Assistance and Laboratory Services. Did you know that SARA owns and operates parks in the San Antonio River Basin?

Viewers can find the locations and status of the recently acquired properties under Parks & Trails, along with paddling trails and a link to the river recreation website, where viewers can learn about the latest water conditions in a particular area.

“The revised website is designed to be more user-friendly. Our hope is that the public will find it a useful tool to learn more about us and the services we provide,” says Steven Schauer, SARA’s Manager of External Communications.

Other information that can be found on the website includes links to SARA’s major initiatives, such as the San Antonio River Improvements Project and the Westside Creeks Conceptual Design Project. SARA offers an assortment of educational opportunities that can be found in the Education Outreach section. This includes numerous kids’ activities, such as downloadable activity sheets and other hands-on activities and experiments. Kids can learn about the concept of watersheds; the water cycle; non-point source pollution and storm water runoff; interaction between surface and ground water; and native plants and animals of the San Antonio River Basin. There is also an extensive library that can be found under Public Resources. Users will find the new website more manageable and convenient. Log on to www.sara-tx.org.

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Helping Develop Critical Thinking Leaders
By Karen Opiela

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) is committed to partnering with communities to develop innovative strategies focused on sustainable growth. The Water Resources and Community Development (WRCD) department’s main objective is to encourage and support sustainable growth in communities by making the local way of life more creative, inclusive and sustainable today and for years to come.

WRCD programs and projects include facilitating and managing the Westside Creeks Restoration Project, Regional Water Alliance, Regional Water Resource Development Group, Goliad County Water Supply Corporation, Kenedy Desalination Water Supply Project and South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group (Region L). More information about these projects can be found at www.sara-tx.org.

Among the activities WRCD has developed are the Sustainable Watershed Awareness training courses. WRCD is working with partners and leveraging resources to provide community-solicited education in topics that will improve “watershed awareness” throughout the basin. The courses will provide information on water resources, environmental enforcement, rural leadership, riparian area management, watershed stewardship and sustainable technologies for land management.

WRCD is also working on a series of orientation courses for the Texas Rural Leadership Program. This leadership development program can strengthen communities by developing the most available, yet under-used, resource—human resources of all ages, socio-economic classes and ethnicities.

The Texas Watershed Steward program is another program with which WRCD is seeking to join forces “to provide science-based watershed education to help citizens identify and take action to address local water quality impairments.” Texas Watershed Stewards learn about the nature and function of watersheds, potential impairments and strategies for watershed protection. This program is anticipated to grow in the coming year throughout the basin.

WRCD staff continues to work diligently to ensure our programs and projects meet the needs of the community. If you would like more information please contact Karen Opiela at 210-302-3280 or 1-866-345-7272.

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Leaders in Watershed Solutions
By Suzanne Scott, General Manager

At the bottom of this electronic newsletter you may notice our revised mission statement, "Sustain and Enrich Life in the San Antonio River Watershed." This short sentence we believe packs a lot of punch and accurately describes the work we aim to accomplish within our watershed.

To ‘sustain and enrich life,’ while very broad, is actually precisely what we mean. “Life” includes people, animals and plants, the full spectrum of the living ecosystem within our watershed. Through this mission statement, we convey our core value as stewards of the watershed. We are passionately committed to the preservation, protection and sustainability of the entire watershed. Projects and programs advanced by our scientists, engineers and managers must take a holistic, systemic view of the watershed to determine the best solutions. I believe our revised mission statement captures our efforts to be leaders in providing comprehensive watershed solutions.

As we take a holistic view of the watershed, we get involved in activities occurring outside our four-county district but within the 14-county watershed. You read in this issue about one such project, the Medina Dam rehabilitation project, where we are working with partners to ensure flood protection throughout the Medina River and San Antonio River Watersheds. This is just one example of how we sustain and enrich life in the San Antonio River Watershed utilizing a complete and integrated approach.

Whooping crane endangered species lawsuit update:
As I detailed in the last edition of the River Reach, SARA’s Board of Directors authorized an appeal of the District Court’s order denying our motion to intervene in the whooping crane lawsuit. We have since filed that appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals requesting three rulings: 1) stay the lower court’s proceedings until the motion to intervene has been decided; 2) expedite the ruling on our appeal to intervene; and 3) overturn the lower court’s ruling denying us intervenor status. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted the motion to expedite our appeal and has also stayed the lower court’s proceedings pending a ruling on our intervenor status. We anticipate the Fifth Circuit’s decision on our motion to intervene to be issued in the near future. We will continue to provide you updates on the case throughout its proceedings.

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