| San Antonio River Río San Antonio | |
|---|---|
 Map of the San Antonio River and its associated watershed in South Texas. | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | US |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | TheSan Antonio Springs near theUniversity of the Incarnate Word inSan Antonio,Texas. |
| • elevation | 715 ft (218 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Flows into theGuadalupe River, 10 mi northwest of theSan Antonio Bay. |
| Length | 240 mi (390 km) |
| Basin size | 4,180 sq mi (10,800 km2)[2] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 400 cu ft/s (11 m3/s)[1] |
TheSan Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in centralTexas in a cluster of springs in midtownSan Antonio, about 4 miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state.[3] It eventually feeds into theGuadalupe River about 10 miles fromSan Antonio Bay on theGulf of Mexico. The river is 240 miles long and crosses five counties:Bexar,Goliad,Karnes,Refugio, andWilson.
The first documented record of the river was fromÁlvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca on his explorations of Texas in 1535. The river was later named afterSan Antonio de Padua by the first governor ofSpanish Texas,Domingo Terán de los Ríos in 1691.[3]
On June 13, 1691, Governor Terán and his company camped at a rancheria on a stream calledYanaguana. They renamed the stream "San Antonio" because it was Saint Anthony's Day. FatherDamián Massanet accompanied Governor Terán on his trip.[4]
During theTexas Revolution, the river was host to several major conflicts. TheBattle of Concepcion occurred when the Mexican forces in Bexar and Texian militia fired upon each other in a small skirmish on the mission's grounds. TheGrass Fight occurred when Texian militia mistook mules carrying grass to feed horses as mules carrying supply and gold money. The siege of Bexar was the climax of all these previous events when the Texian militia surrounded Bexar and began continuous attacks into the Mexican stronghold of Bexar until the Mexican GeneralMartín Perfecto de Cos surrendered.
TheGoliad Campaign occurred when 50 Texian militia captured the mission at Goliad, being used as agarrison by the Mexican forces. TheBattle of the Alamo occurred when 180 Texian regulars and volunteers occupied a 3-acre garrison built around an oldSpanish mission. They withheld a Mexican force of around 3,000 troops for 12 days until the garrison was overrun by a Mexican assault on dawn of the 13th day.
During Fiesta every April, the Texas Cavaliers River Parade runs on the San Antonio River in downtown San Antonio. It is one of Fiesta's most popular events and ticket sales revenue goes to support children’s charities.[5]
Five major 18th-centurySpanish missions are lined up along the historical course of the river in San Antonio, includingMission Espada,Mission Concepcion,Mission San José, andMission San Juan Capistrano. The most famous mission is San Antonio de Valero, better known asthe Álamo, and its complementing fortress isPresidio San Antonio de Bexar. These five missions in San Antonio are now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. ThePresidio La Bahía and its mission,Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga inGoliad, Texas, are also located along the southern portion of the river.
The waterway is also host to theSan Antonio River Walk, one of San Antonio's primary tourist destinations and the centerpiece of the city, with several river improvement projects occurring so far. The Riverwalk was extended to the north in 2009, and that section of the river is now called the Museum Reach and features attractions such as the Pearl Brewery and the San Antonio Museum of Art.[6][7] In 2013, the Mission Reach stretch of the Riverwalk was opened in the south, which features hiking, biking, and paddling trails.[8][9][10]
Work was authorized to begin in 2015 by the Bexar County Commissioners Court on the restoration of the formerHot Wellshotel,spa, andbathhouse, located along the San Antonio River in the south side of the city.[11]
28°30′26″N96°53′28″W / 28.50722°N 96.89111°W /28.50722; -96.89111
