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Salado Creek and the Farmer's Well In 1912, Ferdinand Theis went around to his neighbors and collected $100 from each for the purpose of drilling a well (Theis, 1987). On October 12 of 1912, the San Antonio Light reported:
In 1914 the farmers purchased the one-acre tract from Eisenhauer for $200. Another nearby tract of 0.46 acres was purchased for a second well, but it was never drilled. The farmers also built a dam across Salado Creek just above its confluence with the San Antonio River, forming a three mile lake, but it washed out during floods. The US Government eventually purchased all the land around the farmers' tracts, making the well a private oasis in the center of Fort Sam Houston. During dry times, several Ft. Sam commanders ordered the well capped until it was explained to them that the well was privately owned and not a part of the military base.
By 1962, internal troubles had developed within the farmer' association. The original plan allowed garden plowing irrigation, but many began using the water for all types of irrigation, leaving little for others farther downstream. By 1975, with the continued drilling of numerous Edwards wells and rapid urban development, artesian flows slowed considerably and the Creek water became unsafe to drink. With the extension of municipal water services to the area, most were able to abandon their reliance on flows from the well. In 1992 the well was deemed a "waste" and was plugged by the Edwards Underground Water District. There are a few natural springs in the creekbed at this location that still flow occasionally. Residents and city officials have been talking for more than 60 years about using a trail system along Salado Creek to link north Bexar county to the southern part of the county and the San Antonio missions. Residents feel that hiking and biking trails, parks, shallow pools, and waterfalls would help lead to an understanding of nature in urban environments and offer linkages to develop a greater sense of community among people living near the creek. Groups like the Salado Creek Foundation are working towards these goals. Since 1995, several plans have been developed to return Salado Creek to something that more closely resembles its natural state while enhancing both recreation and flood control. In December '95, a plan developed by the engineering firm of Groves and Associates for an ad hoc committee in City Council District 2 was unveiled for the seven mile stretch of Salado Creek through that district. It called for a series of shallow pools and 35 small cascading waterfalls; and it focused mainly on the stream channel itself and physical connections along the creek like greenbelts and bike paths. A key aspect of the Groves plan was extending the SAWS recycled water line north to Eisenhauer Road so flow would pass through the neighborhoods of Wilshire Park and Wilshire Terrace. In February '96, an Environmental Design charette held by the American Institute of Architects produced another plan that complemented the Groves plan in some ways and conflicted in others. The charette plan dealt with a wider target area and included development up and away from the creek and broader aspects such as housing. One big difference was the charette plan called for transportation access in certain places while the Groves study found neighborhood associations did not want any roads along the trail system. In March '96, City Councilwoman Ruth Jones McClendon asked Council to make the ad hoc committee into a full commission so the Salado Creek trail idea could be extended beyond District 2 and so the City could apply for federal and state grants. In April '97 city staff completed a study of the Salado watershed that identified 169 residences, 65 businesses, and 10 apartments that would be subject to flooding during a 100 year flood. They recommended more than $25 million in improvements, most for building bridges and culverts. Recommendations also included a levee that would remove 99 homes from the floodplain, channelizing parts of the river, rerouting some roads, and purchasing 12 houses and five other buildings. In December '97 the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission announced Salado Creek would be among the first waterways to be included in an initiative to determine the amount of pollutants the waterway can receive and still meet state standards. The initiative was in response to a mandate by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that states begin enforcing portions of the federal Clean Water Act that deals with surface water quality. Salado Creek was listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's 303(d) list of Threatened and Impaired Waterbodies. Problems found in Salado Creek included low levels of dissolved oxygen, elevated levels of diazinon, and elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria. The state study determined TMDL limits, the "total maximum daily load", so that methods to meet those limits coule be implemented. In October '98, record floods left a band of destruction and debris in Salado Creek, stripping some sections of vegetative cover and leaving them vulnerable to erosion. Since waterway greenbelts can provide recreational opportunities in dry times and are a hedge against flood damage during heavy rains, city leaders began working toward a bond issue to preserve both Salado Creek and Leon Creek for flood control and city parks. In February 2000 San Antonio was awarded a $2 million state grant to turn three miles of Salado Creek banks into hike and bike trails. The project involved linking the city's Willow Springs golf course with MLK Park, DaFoste Park, J Street Park, and the county's Comanche Park. Residents were excited about the prospect of using the trail for jogging and bike riding. Work also included a 10 foot wide concrete trail, landscaping, and trail markers. The city also began installing trails wherever it could as part of regularly scheduled drainage work along Salado Creek. Just before his death in April 2000, renowned art collector Robert Tobin arranged for donation of his 60 acres along Salado Creek to the City to help realize the dream of a a linear park. Tobin was an important benefactor of many nationally renowned cultural institutions and was a very environmentally conscious person before environmental sensitivity was an issue. The land between Austin Hwy and Loop 410 and east of Ira Lee Drive will be known as Robert L. B. Tobin Park. On May 6 2000, voters approved Proposition 3, a 1/8 cent sales tax, to raise $20 million to buy land along Leon and Salado Creeks to be used as natural floodways, open space, and hike & bike trails. Nearly 20 miles of the creek was targeted for improvements aimed at transforming the waterway into a linear park, binding together many city parks, and providing flood control. In March 2001 recycled water from the San Antonio Water System began helping Salado Creek to flow again! A discharge location was constructed just below Rittiman Road, a short distance upstream from where the Farmer's Well used to flow. The first discharge occurred on March 6, and the reliable flow of water began making visible improvements in Salado Creek very quickly. Subsequently, the Creek was removed from the EPA list of Impaired Waterbodies for dissolved oxygen. In May of 2005, voters reauthorized Proposition 3 to raise another $45 million for linear parks along creeks. In July of 2008, the city unveiled plans to complete 17 miles of trails on Leon and Salado Creek by the summer of 2009.
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Materials used to prepare this section: "Two Private Oases in Center of Ft. Sam" San Antonio Light, April 22, 1962. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
