An Urban Oasis

Cultural
Landscape Report

The Brackenridge Park landscape contains an astonishing 12,000 years of documented prehistoric and human interaction with the upper course of the San Antonio River. In that span, its 120-year existence as a municipal park is relatively short. Brackenridge Park is thus more than a municipal park...

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The goats were so successful in clearing seven acres in the Wilderness Area that they loaded up and headed home earlier than planned.

The Brackenridge Park Conservancy (BPC) in collaboration with San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department welcomed 150 goats through Rent-A-Ruminant® Texas to assist with naturally cutting or “mowing” overgrown vegetation. Goats, which graze on many varieties of grasses and plants, are an effective, eco-friendly, and sustainable solution to vegetation management. The Park’s approach cleared unwanted or undesirable plant species and removed extra brush, negating the need for commercial mowing and the use of herbicides.

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Sunken Garden
Theater

The Brackenridge Park Conservancy, working together with the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, has begun the process to renovate the historic Sunken Garden Theater and create a more functional event venue for the citizens of San Antonio and visitors alike.

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Pump House &
Lambert Beach

The general goal is to repair and enhance historic features of the site as outlined in the CoSA 2017 Bond Project. These site features include the Brackenridge Lily Pond, Upper Labor Dam, Upper Labor Acequia, Pump House, and Lambert Beach. The directive for the areas are: preserve and rehabilitate the Lambert Beach river walls acequia walls and upper labor dam; preserve the lily pond walls and water gates; and rehabilitate and restore the pump house structure.

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Upper Labor
Dam & Acequia

The Historic Acequia is situated between the Upper Labor (Lily Pond) and along the north side of the water raceway to the pump house. The Lily Pond supplies the water to the acequia through a control gate on the north side of Brackenridge Road culvert bridge near the upper end on the acequia. The lower end of the acequia by the pump house used to be gated but now open and releases water through the zoo property. The acequia is composed of grouted stone walls and an undetermined bottom. Some of the walls for some length are deteriorating and in need of repair. Many large trees have grown up near the walls and have contributed to the wall deterioration as well as surface drainage from paved areas up slope of the acequia. There is existing asphalt paved parking along Brackenridge Road as well as along a drive abutting the zoo fence line.

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