Based on the blog pageview statistics, I can see that the San Antonio River Mission Reach photos have been the most popular While on a Walk posts thus far. My thanks to all who have visited this site as a result of web searches for that topic.
The river landscape design and engineering for this section of the river restoration project has been quite remarkable. The San Antonio River Authority and the San Antonio River Improvements Project have published much information about the restoration process and have included it in information signage along the trail.
Restoring a river that was channelized strictly for flood control purposes about fifty years ago to a more natural ecosystem is no small task. One of the primary goals of the restoration project has been to recreate a diverse river ecosystem within the constraints of the flood control channel that includes runs, pools, weirs, riffles and embayments.
On my walks along the Mission Reach section of the river, I haven't taken many photos that show the actual process of this restoration partly because the process is in a relatively early stage of development and because my main intent has been to concentrate on the wildlife.
I do have a few photos that at least show something of the process involved:
South of Theo Ave, the flood channel widens allowing room for the construction of a fairly large embayment area. An embayment is created where a river has meandered, leaving still water pools in the process. It is a similar process to what occurs on large rivers creating oxbow lakes:
Eventually, when I return to the Mission Reach, I will make a point of taking photos that more effectively show the process of restoration. For now, this can be considered a preview of a future post.
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