Local Brief
Confluence Park's iconic petals do more than provide shade
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The centerpiece of Confluence Park is a part of the water catchment system. Photo: Megan Stringer/Axios
Confluence Park isn't just a place to walk along the river — it's a model for the kind of nature-based stormwater projects the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) hopes to expand across Bexar County.
How it works: A partnership between the San Antonio River Foundation and the San Antonio River Authority, Confluence Park uses its signature concrete "petals" to collect rainwater and direct it into an underground cistern.
- Combined with a green roof, native planting zones and a permeable parking lot, they form a system that captures, filters and reuses stormwater.
By the numbers: The cistern stores about 100,000 gallons, with another 100,000 gallons of temporary storage above it.
- In an average year, the park captures roughly 286,000 gallons of rainwater.
- That water irrigates about 2.5 acres of native plants and supplies non-potable uses like flushing toilets.
What they're saying: "Confluence Park kind of sets a standard of what we envision implementing throughout our basin," Mikel Wilkins, who manages SARA's Nature Based Solutions Program, tells Axios.
What's next: The River Authority has identified more than 540 public sites in Bexar County where similar systems could be added, potentially making the park a regional model for flood resilience and smarter water use.