Riparian Restoration

Along the Cypress-lined stretch of the Medina River that runs through Castroville Regional Park, a restoration effort is underway thanks to collaborative partnerships and helpful volunteers.

The Riparian Restoration Project at Castroville Regional Park is an important piece of the Medina River Below Diversion Lake Watershed Protection Plan (WPP), a collaborative effort led by the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) and other regional stakeholders including San Antonio River Authority, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M San Antonio, the City of Castroville and the Friends of the Castroville Regional Park (FCRP).

The project is designed as a demonstration site — a hands-on showcase of practical techniques for:

• Stabilizing eroding stream banks
• Filtering polluted runoff before reaching the river
• Rebuilding aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitats using native vegetation

Beyond water quality, the project doubles as a public educational resource. Because Castroville Regional Park draws heavy foot traffic for hiking, swimming, and picnicking along the Medina River, the restored riparian zone gives visitors a firsthand look at how healthy stream-side vegetation protects both the river and the recreational experience it supports. Volunteer workdays also give residents a hands-on participation in the project. Finally homeowners and landowners can see what kind of plant to choose for riparian areas. We hope the community is enjoying these efforts!

Timeline

• 2025 — Planning and community engagement ramp up.
• January 22, 2026 — TWRI hosts a public stakeholder meeting at the Braden Keller Community Center in Castroville to report that the EPA approved the WPP for this segment of the Medina River. Also reported progress on the demonstration project and gather community input, including a logo for the Medina River WPP.
• February 2026 — Volunteer workdays: site preparation and construction, including path building and fence installation, and native plant installation; more than 40 volunteers helped!
• July 2026 - Volunteer workday: Clean up after June flash flooding
• September 2026 - Volunteer workday

The project continues to build on years of related gardening and conservation work at the Regional Park including the Butterfly Garden, the Mary Irish Botanical Garden Trail, and a separately proposed constructed-wetlands project.

This kind of project is possible due to many volunteers from groups including but not limited to:

• Medina Valley High School students
• Bexar Branches Alliance
• Green Spaces Alliance
• Alamo Area Chapter - Texas Master Naturalists
• Brush Y Canyons Chapter - Texas Master Naturalists
• City of San Antonio
• UTSA students
• San Antonio Water System (SAWS)
• Libertarian Party of Texas

The FCRP is so grateful for the generous support these groups contributed to beautification of Regional Park and the water quality improvement the Medina River.

Adriana Arrington-Calk, President of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, City of Castroville, said,

Helen Delavan, founding and current member of the FCRP, said:

If you are interested in being involved in this project, contact:

Mary Michael Zahed, Program Specialist, Texas Water Resources Institute at 804-350-5594 or mary.lipfordzahed@ag.tamu.edu​