Following the Grand Opening of the Madla Greenway, VIDA San Antonio is joining with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio River Authority and the San Antonio River Foundation to keep greenways and waterways clear of pollution. The San Antonio River Basin is the network of waterways that include the Medina River, Leon Creek, the Upper/Lower San Antonio River, Salado Creek and Cibolo Creek watersheds. Pollution that seeps into the groundwater impacts the quality of this ecosystem.
The Madla Greenway, the linear park that runs through the VIDA community, includes a seasonal creek that can sweep litter downstream and into the groundwater. Natural areas like the Madla Greenway are especially susceptible to wind-swept pollution and illegal dumping (which should be reported by calling 311).
VIDA participates in the Adopt-A- Spot program, where residents and staff participate in regular cleanups of litter/illegal dumping around the VIDA and Texas A&M University-San Antonio. This program invites companies, organizations, friends and individuals to adopt a small piece of public right-of-way and pick up litter that might otherwise impact the groundwater.
The community has also taken the San Antonio River Authority’s (SARA) ‘Don’t Let Litter Trash Your River’ pledge. SARA provides helpful tools to participate in organized cleanups, or create a new clean-up program. Be sure to check out the River Warriors program to find volunteer events near you.
New signs are also being installed throughout the Madla Greenway this spring to educate trail-goers on the importance of seasonal creeks to the watershed, and invite all to participate in keeping the San Antonio River Basin beautiful.
Want to make picking up litter even more fun? Download the Litterati app to report your progress and see what others in the community are doing.