Salado Creek

Huebner to Blanco – The North Salado Creek Greenway development has been a working partnership between city staff, the RVK design team, and the surrounding neighbors. The greenway is a linear open space along the Salado creek which provides enhanced access between Huebner Road and Blanco Road with new connections to the surrounding neighborhoods for walkers and cyclists. It is a new recreational and educational community resource that contributes to the overall open space plan in San Antonio. This section of greenway development is the first phase and northernmost of several planned along the entire length of the Salado Creek and provided the link of the greenway with Phil Hardberger Park.

The headwaters of the Salado Creek originate in northern Bexar County in the Fair Oaks Ranch subdivision and runs for 38 miles until it drains into the San Antonio River. The two-mile segment of creek between Huebner Road and Blanco Road is within the Upper Salado watershed which runs along the southern boundary of the Edwards Plateau where the creek drains the Balcones Canyonlands. The creek is an ephemeral (rainfall provides all the water) to intermittent (groundwater provides some of the water) stream which meanders through the floodplain with very little ponding except after rain events.

The RVK design team achieved the goals of the project, which involved safety and security for trail users, alternative modes of transportation through the open space, public recreation, storm water and flood management, wildlife habitat and plant life preservation, historical connections, outdoor education, development of a natural buffer for the neighbors lining the greenway, neighborhood provided connections along the trail, and connections to the overall open space in San Antonio.

Amenities included a two-mile long concrete and asphalt paved hike and bike trail, natural boulder seating groups, steel vehicular/pedestrian bridge, wayfinding signage and interpretive graphics.

Rigsby to SS Lions Park – The South Salado Creek Greenway is a segment of an overall linear park creekways venture being developed by the City of San Antonio, Texas. The greenway is a linear open space along the creek which provides enhanced access between various facilities and communities to the surrounding neighborhoods for walkers and cyclists. This section of creekway development is the southmost segment of several planned along the entire length of the Salado Creek.

The 2.3 mile stretch of Salado Creek, extending from Rigsby Avenue to Southside Lions Park is known as the Middle Salado watershed running through the Blackland Prairie region of South Texas. This segment is characterized as a perennial stream system embedded within an active to and occasionally mobile floodplain, which car­ries mostly run-off from the surrounding impervious stream system. The floodplain sur­rounding the stream contains well-defined terraces, which are periodically inundated during flood events. An established bottomland hardwood forest is located along the majority of the stream. Seeps and springs flowing into the creek from the east bank north of Roland Avenue support diverse wetland plant communities.

RVK’s design involved accomplishing a variety of goals. A primary goal of the project design involved pro­viding for the safety and security of persons using the trail. In addition to expanding public recreational opportunities, the trail now facilitates the use of alternative modes of transportation. Educational opportunities were recognized within interpretive features, including wildlife and plant habitat, preservation and historical connections.

Blanco to West Avenue – This 2.4 mile segment of the Salado Creek Greenway extends primarily in an East to West direction, from the old Voelcker homestead within Phil Hardberger Park to and through Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park terminating at West Avenue where it will join the next segment of greenway. The trail provided connections to area neighborhoods as well as safe and accessible routes to both Phil Hardberger Park and Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park.

The headwaters of the Salado Creek originate in northern Bexar County in the Fair Oaks Ranch subdivision and runs for approximately 38 miles until it eventually drains into the San Antonio River. This trail segment is located within the Upper Salado watershed which runs along the southern boundary of the Edwards Plateau where the creek drains the Balcones Canyonlands. The creek is an ephemeral (rainfall provides all the water) to intermittent (groundwater provides some of the water) stream which meanders through the floodplain with very little ponding except after rain events.

RVK’s design of the Greenway offered outstanding recreational opportunities to walk, hike, bike, socialize, walk pets, explore, read, people watch, observe wildlife, exercise, and relax. Educational opportunities were enhanced through the use of interpretive features explaining wildlife and plant habitat and explaining connections to historic features in the area. This trail segment has a direct trail connection to the existing outdoor classroom facility located within Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park. This segment was constructed entirely of concrete resulting in the least amount of maintenance required by the City as well as to best withstand the unpredictable and excessive forces of flash flooding events. Our design included such amenities as additional parking at Phil Hardberger Park and at Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park, paved accessible trails as well as natural surface trails for the more adventurous patrons, wayfinding and other informative and interpretive signage, rest areas with seating, trailheads with seating and greenway information, bike racks, trash receptacles, portable restroom facilities, and mile markers coded for easy emergency services navigation.

The greenway system provided several miles of linear open space recreation while still allowing the creek system to provide improved, very important storm water and floodplain management. The greenways are an ever growing network of trails providing limitless opportunities to promote healthy lifestyles and to connect with nature on a first-hand basis.