Rivers flow not past, but through us; tingling, vibrating, exciting every cell and fiber in our bodies, making them sing and glide. – John Muir *
The Mission Reach ecological restoration project is a generational process that will take about 75 years to fully mature, so this is just the initial phase of the restoration. As the restoration matures the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) will allow the river channel to evolve within the limits of its primary function of flood control.
The section of the river pictured above is an excellent example of the natural evolution of the river channel. Through time, the channel will find its own natural course. Alterations naturally occur through the processes of erosion and deposition. This process is explained by Lane's Balance which deals with the relationship between the size and quantity of sediment carried by a stream versus the slope and flow rate of the stream.
The science aside, this is what the river is supposed to look like; the river healing itself.
* This quote from John Muir is from SARA's 75th Anniversary Documentary film: Sustaining and Enriching Life in South Texas; The Story of the San Antonio River.
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