San Marcos officials say gated access pilot improved river safety, cleanliness, and reduced crowds

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — San Marcos city staff members said managed access points along the San Marcos River helped keep it cleaner, safer and less crowded during peak summer months. 

The river had its busiest year in 2024, and city staff said there were no signs of crowds slowing down, according to previous KXAN reporting. In May, the city of San Marcos approved trialing gated managed access points around Rio Vista Park, a high-traffic destination. 

“The city council provided consensus in September of 2024 to explore measures to generate new revenue, to support costs, to provide a safe environment, and clean up the riverfront parks,” Jamie Lee Case, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said at a recent city council work session meeting. 

“There was support for staff researching the installation of an aesthetically pleasing perimeter fencing along the riverfront parks and creating specific managed access points,” she continued. 

The temporary chain link fence was installed and managed on weekends and holidays over the summer. During a presentation, staff pointed to the program leading to a less crowded environment and more people adhering to the single-use container ban, which passed in 2024. 

“It allowed us to do education, multiple points of education,” Case said. 

Local environmental group The Eyes of the San Marcos River echoed the city’s report. It said it also observed less trash in its weekly river cleanups compared to the previous summer. 

“We had the same cleanup again every Monday morning this summer, and it wasn’t as bad,” David Zambrano with The Eyes of the San Marcos River said. “I do think that the managed access piece of that helped.”

“If it works, I don’t want to see it go away,” Zambrano continued.

City staff said that while many residents supported the new initiative, others felt the temporary fencing wasn’t visually appealing.

Staff recommended continuing the program next year but said they would explore more attractive options for future setups.

Along with refining the access program, San Marcos officials are also considering fees for non-residents who use the river. They said this could help generate revenue for the Parks Department and keep the river healthy.