The challenge is that many of SARA’s goals are not easily measured. They are sometimes intangible and qualitative; for example, one goal is enhancing the community’s appreciation for the San Antonio River and its tributaries. In the book titled Good to Great, business educator and researcher Jim Collins says that you should “hold yourself accountable for progress in outputs, even if those outputs defy measurement.” So monthly we rigorously assemble evidence, both quantitative and qualitative, that indicates progress toward achieving our goals.

Let’s look more closely at SARA’s third goal: Deliver valued public service. We have developed a list of indicators that indirectly enhance the value of the services we provide for our customers. These indicators include being responsive, effectively leveraging resources, developing partnerships and enhancing governmental efficiency and effectiveness.

This past year, our evidence suggests we made progress in the area of delivering valued public service. Some measured progress includes:

• Completing several important capital projects on time and within budget, including the newly opened Museum Reach River Walk expansion in May 2009
• Providing technical assistance to many downstream cities and communities in the operation of their water and wastewater utilities
• Hosting newly developed floodplain maps online for easy access and usage
• Receiving positive comments and feedback on SARA’s education initiatives
• Completing SARA water system iron filtration system updates and receiving positive comments from water system customers

We hope you agree that SARA is providing valued service in our basin. We encourage your thoughts, comments and input. Please feel free to contact me, Steve Graham, Assistant General Manager, at (210) 302-3622, or e-mail me at sgraham@sara-tx.org.

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Employee Highlight
By Kim Garcia

Ronnie’s primary role is to investigate environmental concerns throughout the San Antonio River Basin that may potentially affect aquatic resources or threaten human health. Many investigations deal with illegal dumping, floodplain violations, water quality, property encroachments, fish kills, hazardous spills and pollution. He has performed many site assessments for SARA’s Real Estate, Utilities, Administrative Services and Engineering departments on properties along the San Antonio River. Ronnie assisted with environmental issues that arose on the San Antonio

River Improvements Project during the construction phase of the Museum Reach, and now on the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration Project. He often acts as facilitator between the landowners and regulatory agencies to help protect our basin’s natural resources. Because of this, he has built partnerships with both local property owners and governmental agencies. Ronnie’s position is ever growing and he feels he “learns something new everyday.” He is pleased to be an environmental steward and assist SARA in preserving and protecting the San Antonio River and its tributaries.

Ronnie is a proud life-long San Antonio resident. He is married and has a daughter that is home schooled. Ronnie teaches Science, History and Geography while his wife teaches Math, English, and Social Studies. Aside from his SARA responsibilities, Ronnie loves to collect old radios, cameras, bottles and geography and geology books. He will not admit this, but rumor has it that he is a great basketball player respected by his fellow SARA teammates.

Thank you Ronnie for all you do for SARA!

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Westside Creeks Update
By Roberto G. Rodríguez
SARA Board Member, Bexar County District 2

The mission of the Westside Creeks Restoration Project is to develop concepts for restoring the environmental condition of the creeks, provide increased recreational opportunities and propose links to reconnect the neighborhoods to the Westside Creeks.

Developing the conceptual plan is truly a community-based effort. The Westside Creeks Restoration Oversight Committee hosted a successful second public workshop where possible creek restoration was reviewed.

A total of eight catalyst (or focus) sites have been identified by the public as areas where improvements could be prioritized for the greatest community benefit. The catalyst sites include concepts for multi-use trails, riparian restoration, park land, community gardens, future bus rapid transit stations, public art and much more.

The next public meeting is scheduled for the morning of February 27, 2010 at VIA (1021 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212) and will offer an opportunity to preview and comment on the final draft report. Once the report is finalized in June, it can be used to seek funding from local, state and federal partners. For more information, log on to www.westsidecreeks.com.

As a life-long resident of San Antonio’s Westside, I have made this project a personal passion of mine and I encourage all who are interested to attend the next public meeting and help shape the conceptual plan by sharing their comments.

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Green Living—Paper, Plastic or Reusable?
By Katherine Peché

Paper bags can be made out of recycled materials, but many trees are still cut down to meet the demand for these bags. Plastic bags are inexpensive to produce and made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum and natural gas. They are a growing problem because they are found everywhere: in ditches, along highways, cluttering tree branches and buried in landfills. The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) has a stake in this issue because plastic bags that are not properly recycled or disposed of often end up floating in the creeks, streams and rivers SARA is charged to protect. Once there, they can negatively affect habitats and wildlife.

If you do have old paper or plastic bags, rather than just throwing them away, attempt to reuse them. If they are not in a condition to be reused, then try to ensure that they are recycled. Paper bags can be recycled just about anywhere, and usually grocery stores will have an option to recycle plastic bags. Additionally, check with your local recycling program or other online resources such as www.earth911.com for more recycling information.

Reusable bags can often be found in a variety of places, usually in grocery stores. Some of these stores even have incentives if you bring in and use your own bags. SARA also gives away free reusable shopping bags at public events that it organizes or participates in. These bags are convenient and can usually hold substantial amounts of groceries and other items. If you make it a habit of using your reusable bags at the grocery store, you can help reduce the impact paper and plastic bags can have on our environment.

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New Director & Board Officers Lead SARA Forward
By Laura Waldrum and Karen Bishop

For the 2009 – 2015 Board term, SARA is pleased to announce new Board member Michael W. Lackey, P.E., representing Bexar County District 3. Lackey has a background in mechanical engineering and real estate brokerage. He has served on the boards of trustees for the San Antonio Water System and the San Antonio Planning Commission.

Elected November 3, 2009, Lackey was sworn into office by former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger on November 12. Hardberger commended Lackey for his strong, well-established leadership and for his extensive knowledge of water-related projects and issues within the region.

Also sworn in on November 3rd after uncontested elections were Thomas G. Weaver, representing Bexar County District 4; John J. Flieller, representing Wilson County; H.B. “Trip” Ruckman, III, representing Karnes County; and Terry E. Baiamonte, representing Goliad County.

Board Officers & Committees
For the upcoming two year period, Gaylon J. Oehlke of Karnes County was elected by his Board peers to serve as Board chair. He is joined by the following newly-elected Board Officers:

Vice-chair: Sally Buchanan, Bexar County At-Large
Secretary: Roberto G. Rodríguez, Bexar County District 2
Treasurer: Terry E. Baiamonte, Goliad County

The Executive Committee, which oversees SARA’s originating statute, bylaws, legislation, policies, strategic planning and other matters at its discretion, consists of the following members:

Chair: Gaylon J. Oehlke, Karnes County
Vice-chair: Sally Buchanan, Bexar County At-Large
Secretary: Roberto G. Rodríguez, Bexar County District 2
Treasurer: Terry E. Baiamonte, Goliad County
At-large: A.D. “Al” Kollodziej, Jr., Wilson County
At-large: Hector R. Morales, Bexar County At-Large

The Fiscal Committee oversees the audit, budget, salaries and benefits, and consists of the following officers and members for the 2009 – 2011 term:

Chair: Terry E. Baiamonte, Goliad County
Vice-chair: Hector R. Morales, Bexar County At-Large
Secretary: A.D. “Al” Kollodziej, Jr., Wilson County
Members: Michael W. Lackey, P.E., Bexar County District 3
Gaylon J. Oehlke, Karnes County
Thomas G. Weaver, Bexar County District 4

The Communications Committee oversees communications with the media, community, other organizations, and intergovernmental and Board relations. Its 2009 – 2011 officers and members are:

Chair: Sally Buchanan, Bexar County At-Large
Vice-chair: Roberto G. Rodríguez, Bexar County District 2
Secretary: John J. Flieller, Wilson County
Members: Názirite Rubén Pérez, Bexar County District 1
H.B. “Trip” Ruckman, III, Karnes County
Adair R. Sutherland, Goliad County

The Operations Committee oversees existing and future operations, engineering and technical services, environmental sciences, park services, watershed management, water resources and utility services, and consists of the following 2009 – 2011 officers and members:

Chair: H.B. “Trip” Ruckman, III, Karnes County
Vice-chair: John J. Flieller, Wilson County
Secretary: Názirite Rubén Pérez, Bexar County District 1
Members: Adair R. Sutherland, Goliad County
Michael W. Lackey, P.E., Bexar County District 3
Thomas G. Weaver, Bexar County District 4

Board and committee meetings are public meetings. Agendas are posted at the county clerks’ offices in each county; with the Secretary of State; and at SARA’s headquarters at 100 E. Guenther, San Antonio, TX, 78204. SARA also posts its agendas online at www.sara-tx.org; click on Public Information.

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Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps—SARA Works to Map Flood Risk in the San Antonio River Basin
By Nefi Garza

The DFIRM process uses modern technology and up-to-date topography, land use, impervious cover and rain fall data to map flood risk. This $14 million project, started in 2004, mapped over 1,700 stream miles in Bexar County.

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) managed and funded the project; FEMA, Bexar County, the City of San Antonio, the City of Alamo Heights, the City of Windcrest and the City of Live Oak are also funding partners in the project.

Background

In 1997, FEMA developed a plan to modernize its flood mapping program. These plans outlined the steps necessary to digitally format and modernize FEMA’s flood risk maps, raise public awareness of the importance of the maps and respond to map revision requests.

As a Cooperating Technical Partner with FEMA, SARA took on the responsibility of managing the Bexar County Map Modernization program in 2004. In addition, SARA also took on the task of surveying and re-mapping floodplains that were originally surveyed in the 1970’s.

By utilizing improved technology, these digital floodplain maps will assist Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and suburban city officials, residents, business owners and professionals in depicting current flood conditions, better estimating the risk of flooding in their area and determining the need for flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The DFRIMs will also allow for additional layers of information to be combined with the flood risk maps in a Geographic Information System (GIS) format for a wide variety of uses.

Protests and Appeals

A federally mandated 90-day public comment period is required upon the official distribution of the DFIRMs. During this public comment period, the communities of Bexar County and other interested parties had an opportunity to refute the data shown on the preliminary DFIRMs and submit a formal objection through the Appeals and Protests Process.

• Appeal—A formal objection to new or revised base flood elevations (BFEs) shown on a preliminary DFIRM or Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report. BFEs may be appealed if they are shown to be scientifically or technically incorrect. The distinction between “scientifically incorrect” and “technically incorrect” is important because of the differences in the data needed in support of an Appeal Petition.
• Protest—A formal objection, which does not involve BFEs, to any new or revised information shown on a preliminary DFIRM or FIS report. Protests generally involve comments regarding the delineation of the updated floodplain and/or floodway boundaries, corporate limits, road names or road locations.

SARA received and, with the help of private consultants, addressed 292 appeals and protests.

Next Steps

After addressing all appeals and protests, SARA submitted the maps to FEMA for review. FEMA is on schedule to release the maps back to Bexar County communities in March 2010 at the beginning of a six-month local adoption period. The governing bodies of Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and all suburban cities in the county will receive one paper copy and one digital copy of the maps.

Each governing body will have six months to approve the maps. This approval is required by FEMA in order for a community to remain a part of the NFIP. That means the county, the city and all suburban cities will need to approve the maps by September 2010. SARA is working through the Bexar Regional Watershed Management (BRWM) partnership to inform all local governments of the approval requirements. The preliminary maps can be seen on-line at www.bexarfloodfacts.org.

Downstream Counties

SARA is also in the process of creating DFIRMs for Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties. The DFIRM process is in different stages in each county:

Wilson County—SARA’s consultant is currently addressing protests and appeals; final maps will be released back to communities in March 2010
Karnes County—The 90-day Protests and Appeals period just ended on December 29, 2009
Goliad County—The 90-day Protests and Appeals period just ended on December 15, 2009

Preliminary flood maps and more information about the DFIRM process in Wilson, Karnes and Goliad Counties can be found at www.sarafloodfacts.org.

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The San Antonio River Basin Creek Book
Promoting Basin-wide Environmental Stewardship
By Katherine Peché

Intended for rural landowners and urban residents throughout the entire San Antonio River Basin, the book focuses on how to modify everyday behaviors and practices to improve water quality, minimize waste and reduce consumption of natural resources. SARA developed this manual to raise awareness of the commonly underestimated effects of non-point source pollution on water quality and the importance of healthy creeks in our ecosystem.

• An introduction to the concept of inter-connected watersheds
• Typical characteristics of healthy and impaired creeks (specific to our basin)
• Tips for preventing pollution
• Proper disposal of hazardous waste
• Methods and benefits of wastewater treatment
• Preventing soil erosion and protecting stream flow
• Native plants and wildlife found in our basin
• Recycling information
• Natural alternatives to potentially harmful commercial products

This book will help to educate residents and landowners on how our watersheds work, focusing on the unique features and characteristics found in our basin. The pollution prevention tips are practical solutions that can potentially help to reverse the impairment and degradation of many of our creeks and streams.

The Creek Book also offers tips on hazardous waste disposal and resources to help residents find their closest disposal site. Preventing soil erosion and protecting stream flow are two important activities that residents can accomplish through thoughtful maintenance of their property. These tasks reveal the importance of the native plants, habitat and wildlife that are part of natural and healthy creek systems. The existence and quality of habitat will affect plant and animal populations, so ensuring good water quality is essential to restoring or maintaining aquatic and riparian habitat.

Recycling can help reduce the amount of raw materials used in manufacturing, which reduces the amount of waste ending up in creeks or landfills. An extensive list of local, regional and national resources and contact information is also included in the Creek Book. Additionally, readers will find a helpful glossary of definitions and a full color river basin map.

The Creek Book is printed with soy based ink on recycled paper, utilizing 50% alternative fibers (such as bagasse and bamboo) and 50% post-consumer fibers, free from chlorine processing and produced with 100% renewable green energy.

The distribution of the Creek Book began in November 2009 at all events, meetings or workshops in which SARA participates. The goal of this manual is to educate as many residents of our basin as possible so that each person can contribute to protecting and preserving our creeks for future generations. To receive a copy of SARA’s Creek Book, contact Kim Garcia at 210-302-3200 or download it at www.sara-tx.org.

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A Dream for the San Antonio River
By H.B. “Trip” Ruckman, III
SARA Board Member, Karnes County

• SARA is planning a project with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to identify ways that E. coli levels can be reduced on the Lower San Antonio River. SARA expects this project to begin in the fall of 2010.
• SARA is leading a seven member committee that will engage stakeholders who live, work and recreate in the River Walk Watershed to identify and eliminate problems that contribute to increased bacteria levels. Opportunities for public input for this program will be announced throughout 2010.

Through these programs and many others, SARA is working hard for a cleaner and healthier river. Everyone needs to be a good citizen and do his or her part to keep the river healthy. Perhaps through a combination of these efforts, someday people will once again swim in the river just as I did as a kid.

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South Texas Natives
Whooping Crane • Grus Americana
By Matthew Driffill

Snow-white with black heads and wingtips, cranes can easily be seen and heard from long distances. These magnificent birds stand over five feet tall and have a seven foot wingspan, and their call can be heard up to two miles away! Cranes travel over 2,500 miles each year on the trip to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in October; in April they make the trip back to their summer home in Wood-Buffalo National Park, Canada. Whooping Cranes utilize the fertile feeding grounds in the estuary of San Antonio Bay, where Gulf of Mexico saltwater and San Antonio and Guadalupe River freshwater meet.

This combination sustains a vibrant ecosystem packed with flowering Carolina wolfberries (imagine a pea-sized, salty tomato), Blue Crabs, small fish and other protein-rich food sources. While in Texas, the cranes reside in well defined territories with their life-long mates. According to Tom Stehn, Crane Biologist at ANWR, there should be around 250 cranes residing at ANWR this winter.

If you go on a crane-watching adventure, keep an eye out for cranes with a bronze or rust colored head and neck. These are juvenile birds, and they can usually be found close to their parents. Cranes will have one or two offspring a year, and their young don’t become sexually mature until age four or five. Then they must find their own mate and leave their parents to establish their own territory.

Rockport’s Chamber of Commerce is an excellent resource for tour information; the chamber can be reached at 361-729-6445 or www.rockport-fulton.org.
To learn more call ANWR at 361-286-3559.

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Mission Reach Community Education
By Matthew Driffill

The first of four phases of the Mission Reach starts at the Lone Star Blvd. bridge and extends to the river’s confluence with San Pedro Creek. Starting from the north and traveling south, there are two weir structures visible from Roosevelt Park. The purpose behind these weir structures is to maintain a constant water level during times of drought when baseflow, or the amount of flow coming from sources other than direct precipitation, is very low. The weirs on the Mission Reach project have some added features for paddling recreation. They have cut-outs that allow the majority of the water to flow through a single narrow point in the weir. This allows canoe and kayak paddlers to navigate through without having to get out and portage their watercraft around on land.

Between Roosevelt Park and CPS Energy’s decommissioned Mission Road Power Plant, on the east bank of the river, you’ll find a banana-shaped extension of the river that is called an embayment. During high flow events (after heavy rains) embayments are connected to the main channel, but during periods of normal baseflow they will be completely detached from the main channel. Embayments are typically found in pristine, unaltered river ecosystems. With the urbanization in and around the San Antonio River, embayments are rare and the few that remain are not functional; as part of the Mission Reach Project, engineers are able to design and maintain features that replicate the structure and function of natural features such as embayments, while maintaining the flood conveyance properties of our current river.
Planned river channel improvements are designed to improve the water quality and vitality of the river. In addition to channel improvements, native grasses, wildflowers and over 39 species of woody foliage will be planted to enhance the beauty of the area and restore the health of the ecosystem. This restoration project provides long-term benefits such as maintaining flood protection, reducing erosion, reintroducing native vegetation and restoring an environment more suitable for wildlife.

All of these features are found within the first 300 yards of the Mission Reach, a project that will be over eight miles long when completed! If you or your organization would like to know more about the project, SARA has developed a community education presentation for schools, churches, civic groups and other community organizations. Please contact Matthew Driffill, SARA’s Education Specialist, at 210-302-3222 or mdriffill@sara-tx.org to schedule a presentation at your organization’s next meeting.

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Reducing Levels of E. coli Bacteria
By Ernest Moran

The Upper San Antonio River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan (TMDL IP) is a $599,640 grant agreement between the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed at reducing E. coli bacteria levels in the Upper San Antonio River, Salado Creek and Walzem Creek (Planning Area).

This three-year TMDL IP, currently in its second year, was initiated in January 2008 for three purposes:

• Address E. coli water quality impairments within the proposed planning area
• Identify non-point source pollution management measures
• Develop a schedule for their implementation

The planning area was placed on EPA’s 303d list due to elevated E. coli levels. The TMDL IP is a requirement of the Clean Water Act for streams on the EPA 303d list.
Monthly routine sampling and two intensive sampling events have been conducted within the planning area under non-storm water conditions since September of 2008.

In an effort to identify sources and characterize E. coli concentrations throughout the planning area, water samples from 70 sites have been collected and analyzed monthly. The first of two intensive sampling events in October of 2008 collected a total of 159 samples, and 182 samples were collected during the second event in April of 2009.

E. coli data from these sampling events was made available to the San Antonio Water System, which uses the data to help identify and repair leaks in wastewater infrastructure throughout the planning area.

The development of an IP to reduce E. coli levels within the planning area will be documented in a Best Management Practices (BMP) Report. The EPA defines BMPs as “methods that have been determined to be the most effective, practical means of preventing or reducing pollution to waters of the United States.” BMPs aimed at reducing E. coli levels within the planning area would be determined by suspected sources of the bacteria problem. More information on the progress of this IP will be available in future articles.

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SARA is currently re-designing our family of websites. The first site updated and currently accessible is www.sanantonioriver.org. The next to be improved is the Bexar Regional Watershed Management (BRWM) partnership’s website, www.bexarfloodfacts.org. Developing and hosting the BRWM website is one of SARA’s many roles as part of the BRWM partnership. This site will be officially re-launched in March of 2010 to correspond with the release of the new Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (See Article).
SARA’s main website, www.sara-tx.org, will follow with a comprehensive overhaul. The current site, while still relevant, is several years old and due for an update. The revised site is targeted to go “live” by June 2010.

Recognizing the current trend and importance of social media, SARA has created a Facebook page and a Twitter account that allows for even more interaction with the public. We encourage everyone to become a “fan” of SARA on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so that you can stay current with SARA activities, news, events, job postings and fun facts.

Keeping with the technological trend, SARA is now making our River Reach newsletter available through email as an e-zine. By receiving the email edition of the River Reach, you are becoming a steward of the environment by reducing the amount of paper and ink used in the printing of the newsletter. Sign up for the e-zine version on the www.sara-tx.org website.

SARA is also updating our traditional means of communications. A new presentation regarding the San Antonio River Improvements Project—Mission Reach is now available for schools, churches, civic groups and other community organizations (See Article). SARA has also released its Creek Book that will educate and raise awareness about how to improve and sustain the health of our creek systems (See Article).

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Promoting Environmental Stewardship
By Suzanne Scott, General Manager

San Antonio River. Through the Creek Book and other educational efforts to come, we are working to increase awareness and promote personal responsibility.

The tips suggested in the book are referred to as Best Management Practices (BMPs). We invite you to request a copy of the Creek Book or go to www.sara-tx.org and learn about these BMPs. Challenge your family, work colleagues, classroom or school to put them into practice.

The green living tips on page 4 of this issue are also another way to take personal responsibility for keeping our watershed clean. By working together, we can change behaviors and continue to improve the water quality and ecosystem within the
San Antonio River Basin. Let’s get to work!

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