Water is flowing and life has returned to a stretch of the Cibolo Creek drained since October for a bank restabilization project.
City officials have circled March 25 on the calendar for a “soft launch” of the park, which is when the orange construction fencing will come down and Boerne residents and visitors can enjoy the revamped riverbank park. Anglers can expect a fresh supply of bluegill and bass once the park and river return to normalcy.
“We will be hosting a rededication ceremony in mid-April,” Chris Shadrock, city director of communications, said. “Right now, we are doing some minor cosmetic updates around the park to get it reopened for the public.”
Shadrock reviewed many of the improvements made on the mile-long stretch of river that was drained for months as crews worked primarily on rebuilding and enforcing the river’s banks. Soil erosion was severe, and deterioration would have continued had the project not happened.
“The primary goal of this project has been to improve the creek bank that had been compromised by erosion and to stabilize it for the thousands of weekly visitors,” Shadrock said.
Workers removed more than 7,200 tons of sediment and installed an aeration system to improve water clarity and increase dissolved oxygen levels at the park during hot summer months.
Fish habitats installed within the stream bed includes boulders piles, large woody debris along the shoreline and artificial structures provided by the Boerne Champion High School welding team that simulate large woody debris with the stream channel.
More than 10,000 native plants and vegetation have been planted and are taking root to improve stormwater runoff.
The River Road Park Bank Stabilization Project provided an opportunity to reset the system, he said.
Before the project kicked off, there were too many ducks and turtles, he said, neither of which are native to the Texas Hill Country. This in turn reduced the water quality due to the sheer amount of animal excrement produced — the result of too many people disregarding signs asking visitors not to feed the animals.
“When people feed the animals, this only encourages more ducks and turtles to congregate than the space would naturally allow,” he said.
As for fish, city Environmental Planner Ryan Bass said there was an overpopulation of gizzard shad. Shad reproduce quickly and can significantly impact aquatic life “by eating a lot of the underwater vegetation and negatively impact the stream's ability to support the desired fish population,” Bass said.
Extreme drought conditions and extended periods of triple-digit temperatures caused streams and rivers throughout the Texas Hill County to completely evaporate. Upper Cibolo Creek at River Road Park was no exception.
As water levels dropped and the pool of water at the park shrunk, Bass explained, the large fish population became concentrated into a small, shallow, and very warm pool of water.
However, the removal of the gizzard shad and introduction of the aerators reduces the chance of a similar dissolved oxygen crash in the future.
The restocking strategy is designed to create a bluegill and bass fishery that can thrive in the park. The first phase of the stocking effort will establish forage species this year followed by the introduction of largemouth bass next spring.
Additional fishing piers will help preserve the newly re-established creek bank and allow visitors to fish safely, Shadrock said.
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