CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
TO: Intergovernmental Relations Committee
FROM: Jeff Coyle, Director of Government & Public Affairs
SUBJECT: Community Partner Legislative Priorities: SARA - Westside Creeks Restoration & SAWS
DATE: October 9, 2020
At the Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting on October 14, 2020, the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) will provide a briefing on federal legislative priorities for the 117th Congress.
San Antonio River Authority - Westside Creeks Ecosystem Restoration Project
The San Antonio Channel Improvement Project (SACIP) was initially developed in 1954 as a plan for flood protection of the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers. In 2000 the SACIP was modified to include ecosystem restoration and recreation as authorized project purposes. In 2011 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected a Westside Creeks Ecosystem Restoration Study to be included in a National Pilot Program aimed at improving the Corps' project feasibility study process.
The Westside Creeks (WSC) Ecosystem Restoration Project will restore 11 miles of creeks while maintaining flood control capacity, providing increased access to health and recreational opportunities, and bringing economic benefits to nearby communities. SARA seeks the allocation of funding from, and congressional direction to, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the continuation of the WSC Ecosystem Restoration Project.
San Antonio Water System
As one of the largest municipal water utilities in the nation SAWS serves an area of over 933 square miles with a population of 1.86 million, covering all of Bexar County and portions of Atascosa, Kendall, and Medina Counties. SAWS's focus is to manage and provide sustainable and affordable water services to include drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and reuse.
For the first session of the 117th Congress SAWS' legislative priorities include: Assistance for lo...
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