3444 views
FROM STAFF AND SUBMITTED REPORTS
City staff is under instructions from the San Marcos City Council to draft new rules intended to alleviate crowding during the peak water recreation season at the parks along the upper San Marcos River.
At its meeting last week, a consensus of council members accepted recommendations that include moving picnic sites away from the river; removing weekend and holiday parking on Cheatham Street; removing picnic tables and grills from the Cheatham Street side of Rio Vista Falls; prohibiting shelters or tents except in designated picnic sites; and prohibiting portable charcoal grills at city river parks between City Park and Lucio Park.
City staff has begun removing picnic tables and grills while other changes will require the council to adopt amendments to city ordinances.
The changes are scheduled to be implemented before Memorial Day weekend.
Feb. 21 presentation to council on parks crowding [pdf]
COVER: A tuber at Rio Vista Falls. MERCURY FILE PHOTO
Problems with pollutants and erosion are a result of overcrowding that comes with population growth and greatly increased play on & near the river. We all should remember that the river was here long before any humans, and will likely be here 100s of generations to come. While here, it is our responsibility as citizens and lovers of these waters to keep the river clean. We just haven’t been doing that real well. Thus, rules to live by simply to protect the river from us, for us.