Local leaders host grand opening of eco-friendly Confluence Park
SAN ANTONIO — The grand opening of Confluence Park on the Southside Saturday morning was quite the hit.
State, county, and city officials were in attendance of the eco-friendly park, a $13 million project that was 10 years in the making. Event planners said more than 800 residents were in attendance.
The park is designed to inspire and educate visitors about waterways and what goes into taking care of the San Antonio River. The pavilions have concrete arches and a water catchment system that features more than 12,000 milkcrate-like containers which use the pavilions' geometry to funnel water into a manmade, artificial aquifer. About 100,000 gallons of rainwater will be held underground while an embayment above can hold another 100,000-plus gallons, according to a press release. Stored water will be used for irrigation and plumbing at the park.
"Everyone knows the river is the heart of San Antonio so we built a facility to try to help people understand that beautiful heart and understand the stewardship and care of it overall," said Robert Amerman, executive director of the San Antonio River Foundation. "And if we get some people to love something they are gonna wanna take care of it."
Confluence Park has interactive teaching tools to explain Texas ecotypes and watershed dynamics.
