There were a lot of chairs, and plenty of decorative terra-cotta planters, the kind that line the River Walk-and, apparently, periodically plop right into the water. A team of more than 110 staffers pulled out cellphones, Mardi Gras beads, jewelry, and childrenвЂ™s toys. This yearвЂ™s project, which took place in the last week of January, was no exception. There is a lot of trash in the San Antonio River, something that becomes abundantly clear every two to four years when the public works department, the San Antonio River Authority, and Center City Development & Operations come together to drain the river for maintenance and cleanup. Next to them, similarly coated in a fluffy green veneer of aquatic growth, was the distinct, unforgettable outline of a discarded Lime scooter. It swam over the algae-covered limestone rocks that make up your standard Hill Country river bottom. вЂњHey look, a catfish!вЂќ I said, pointing to a dark form slinking through the water. We looked for apple snails, an invasive species that can wreak havoc on the ecosystem, but didnвЂ™t find any, probably because teams of biologists from the river authority had already used the draining project as an opportunity to find and relocate hundreds of them. We saw a cormorant diving repeatedly, his beady eyes glinting with determination, and pulled out our phones to take video when he came back up with what appeared to be a smallmouth bass in his beak. The water was surprisingly clear, despite its proximity to a major urban mixed-use development, so Merson (who handles communications for the river authority) and I stopped to point out whatever creatures we could spot below the surface. But parts of the river were still submerged by about two feet, plenty of space for fish and turtles to swim around in. The water was lower than usual, in the midst of a temporary draining so the San Antonio Public Works Department could conduct some much-needed maintenance on the infrastructure of the River Walk loop and extension downtown. We marveled at the serenity of our surroundings. On an overcast afternoon in late January, the San Antonio River AuthorityвЂ™s Carrie Merson and I meandered along the rio by the Pearl Brewery, about a mile and a half north of downtown. Today, the San Antonio River Walk is a public park winding through 5 miles of downtown San Antonio and lined by bars, shops and restaurants.Discover the best things to eat, drink, and do in San Antonio with our expertly curated city guides.

In a speech given on November 1, 1978, Hugman commented that it should be noted that the project was known as one of the most outstanding WPA projects in the nation as to the amount of work accomplished per dollar expended. The total cost of the project was $430,000 with $75,000 coming from the infamous city bond issue where 71 of the 76 voters were actually residents of a hotel in the district who were allowed to vote through a loophole in the property law. Numerous benches of stone, cement, and cedar that invited strollers to sit and enjoy the natural beauty of the San Antonio River were also built.

Almost 12,000 trees, shrubs, and plants were added in addition to the laying of 1,489 yards of carpet grass. Using HugmanвЂ™s detailed designs 31 stairways, 30 of rock and 1 of split cedar posts, led to the river banks from 21 bridges. The area improved covered 21 blocks and 8,500 feet of river banks. When the WPA turned the completed project over to the City of San Antonio in March 1941 there were 17,000 feet of new sidewalks that contained 11,000 yards of masonry and 3,200 yards of concrete. He would be fired less than a year into the project as a result of political maneuverings in the city government. In 1938 after funding was obtained through the WPA Hugman was hired as the architect of the San Antonio River beautification project. Hugman had presented his master plan using an Old World theme to enhance and maintain the natural setting of the river while allowing commercial development. Construction of the San Antonio River Walk was undertaken during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and is one of the agencyвЂ™s most iconic accomplishments.Дuring the late 1800вЂ™s citizens of San Antonio became concerned about preserving and protecting the winding little river that ran through the center of their town.

San antonio river walk