Congressman Castro Secures Full Ecosystem Restoration for Martinez Creek on San Antonio’s Westside
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on the House passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes language he secured to authorize a full aquatic ecosystem restoration of Martinez Creek on San Antonio’s Westside.
“Decades ago, San Antonio paved over miles of creeks in an effort to prevent deadly floods on the Westside. Today, modern urban planning and design techniques make it possible to restore the creeks without the flood risks we faced generations ago. Today’s passage of the Water Resources Development Act will allow San Antonio to fully restore Martinez Creek – revitalizing the aquatic ecosystem and creating beautiful outdoor spaces for families to enjoy. The underserved neighborhoods surrounding Martinez Creek deserve a larger share of our community investments and I’m proud to bring this progress to the Westside,” said Congressman Castro.
In 2021, Congressman Castro voted to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided $75 million to fund the federal share of the design and subsequent construction of the Westside Creeks Ecosystem Restoration Project. The project aims to transform 11 miles of Alazán, Apache, Martinez, and San Pedro Creeks by restoring the aquatic ecosystems with native grasses, wildflowers, and trees. When completed, the project will improve environmental and water quality conditions in densely populated urban areas, promoting comprehensive watershed management, advancing neighborhood transportation safety, providing access to outdoor recreation activities in the Westside core, and reconnecting residents to urban creekway systems through an outdoor living classroom for students.
In 2022, members of the San Antonio delegation secured an additional $2,340,000 in federal funding to support the project. Under the language included in the WRDA, Martinez Creek will be eligible for the full range of restoration measures that are currently available for Alazán, Apache, and San Pedro Creeks.
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