Have you ever heard of Kenedy, Texas? What about Falls City, Helena, Runge, or Goliad? Surely you know of the San Antonio Riverwalk? The San Antonio River doesn’t suddenly halt once it passes the Alamo. The river flows south to San Antonio Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The spaces in between San Antonio and the Gulf, however, are relatively unknown even among Texans.

Fermata is part of a team that has been engaged by the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) to develop a holistic watershed plan for the lower San Antonio River in Karnes and Goliad counties. Our role is to develop sustainable park and recreation plans. Currently we are designing conceptual plans for a linear park along Escondido Creek in Kenedy, and the restoration of Lake Paul in Runge. Part of our planning includes expanding the San Antonio River water trail, and to consider ways to develop hike-and-bike trails on the original San Antonio / Aransas Pass rail bed.

The past is also part of our investigations, and this region is incredibly rich in Spanish Colonial and Texas history. The Oxcart Trail, the El Camino Real de los Tejas, Camp Kenedy (a WWII internment camp), La Bahia, and longhorn cattle drives are but a part of what the lower San Antonio River has to offer. Our thanks go to SARA and to URS (the prime on the contract) for allowing us to participate in such a remarkable project.